


In Keeping With Kaiba

by SilverMalkin



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Amnesia, Enemies to ??? to Lovers, F/M, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Minor Violence, Reader-Insert, S L O W B U R N, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2019-07-07 19:32:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 70,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15914817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMalkin/pseuds/SilverMalkin
Summary: Becoming friends with Mokuba means that you'll be leaving your old life behind and meeting the intimidating Seto Kaiba. Can you handle it on your own?





	1. Maita Who?

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the first part of my YuGiOh reader insert! I hesitate to call this a Seto Kaiba x Reader because there won't really be romance in it for a while. Heck, there's probably more Mokuba x Reader aspects to it. Well, that's what happens when you try to write them in character.

Seto Kaiba paced in his office. There were piles of documents on his desk that needed to be looked through, and a spindle full of phone calls to be returned, but he ignored them. It had been three days since Mokuba went missing and there just weren't any leads. He ran his hand through his hair, desperately trying to think of who his biggest enemy was at the moment. It was no good. He had made so many people angry over the years with his aggressive business practices that it was impossible to narrow it down. 

Seto went over to his desk and picked up his cup of coffee. He brought it up to his lips, but set it back down before drinking anything. He started walking towards the door, but turned around halfway and went back to sit behind his desk. Seto picked up a document and stared at it without reading.

Mokuba had been kidnapped many times before, but this was the first time they hadn't heard from the captors within 24 hours. They weren't asking for a ransom. In fact, Seto was only assuming that he had been kidnapped based on past experiences. Seto clenched his fists, tearing the paper he was holding a little. There hadn't been a notable sign of a struggle anywhere, but Mokuba was gone. That meant that either he had run away or he was…

Seto slammed his fists down on the desk and kicked his chair away. He pushed the stacks of papers off of his desk and chucked a cup full of pens across the room. He continued to cause destruction in his office, pulling down pictures and scattering the couch cushions.

Derisive laughter halted his tantrum. Seto whirled around. Someone was feeding video into his office television. The only thing truly visible on the screen was a man with shadowed eyes.

"It is so good to see the composed Seto Kaiba finally getting bothered and losing his temper. Delicious."

"Who the hell are you?" Seto growled, but stayed still.

The shadowed man clicked his tongue. "No, that would make this too easy. Although, you could call me 'Master' if you'd like."

"Like hell."

The man laughed again. "Hm, well let's get to the main course. Your brother is here and he is alive, and you'll have to do something for me to ensure his safe return. You know the routine." 

"Show him to me. Prove that he's with you."

The man stepped aside. Mokuba was tied upon a footstool, looking defiant. 

"Mokuba? Mokuba, say something." Seto clenched his fist.

"Well, Mokuba," said the man, putting a hand on his shoulder, "do you have something you want to tell your brother?"

"Get these bastards, Seto. They call this guy Hak-" The man silenced Mokuba with a hand. 

He chuckled. "Don't be so sour, Mokuba. Now, Seto, in order to make sure that you're going to be compliant, why don't I show you what will happen if you try anything distasteful?" He raised a hand. 

Seto let out a feral snarl as he stepped toward the television. Any thought of action halted in his mind as a forearm entered the shot and stopped the man's descending hand. He stayed still as the shadowed man's attention turned to dragging an unknown woman onscreen. 

He ignored the man's rant about how this "Maita" had sabotaged him and tuned out the sounds of the beating she was receiving. Seto's whole attention was fixed on the words Mokuba was silently mouthing. 

Soon, however, Maita was reduced to a shivering heap on the floor. The shadowed man noticed what Mokuba was doing and backhanded him angrily. Seto bristled, but he was too busy processing what he read off of Mokuba's lips to react properly. 

The shadowed man grabbed the camera roughly and brought it close, making his huge mouth and crooked teeth and gold fillings highly visible. His breath was ragged with anger. "We'll make our demands known at a later date." The video feed ended.

Seto waited for a moment before striding over to the television and removing the small camera they had somehow managed to place over the manufacturer's logo. He almost broke it between his fingers before deciding that it could contain some clues. His brain was so busy churning through the information that Mokuba had given him and the things he'd managed to deduce from the feed that he barely registered righting his chair and logging into his computer. 

Those bastards severely underestimated him.

******************************************************************************************

You knocked lightly on Mokuba's door. He didn't answer, as you expected. 

"Mokuba?" The door was slightly open so you pushed it to peek inside. Mokuba sat on his bed with his head turned toward the wall. You approached the younger boy, straining your neck in order to see his face, but he just turned it away even further. "Look at me, Mokuba." You reached your hand around to the side of his face and pulled it towards you. Just as you had suspected there was a cut and bruise forming where the boss had hit him. 

Mokuba had kept his eyes averted, but they snapped to your face with a gasp when you lightly touched the mark with the cold pack you were carrying. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?" He swatted your hand away.

"This should help with the pain," you said. You frowned, trying to reapply the cold compress, but he kept pushing it away.

"Use it on yourself. You look awful," he said. 

He was right. It wasn't your first time being hit, but it was the first time you'd ever taken a beating. You sat next to him on the bed, "You said you needed a distraction, and this was what it took. I'll worry about it after I've taken care of you."

"It's barely a scratch. My brother could take this without flinching."

He talked about his brother constantly. The confidence that Mokuba had that he would be rescued was absolute. It was heart-warming to hear how much the two brothers loved each other.

"I'm sure he could. That's why I'll need to take care of you first. If I don't, he could come after me. Who knows what would happen to me, then?" Despite your words, you didn't put up too much of a fight when Mokuba took the compress and started applying it gently to your wounds. His ministrations relaxed you and you leaned a little into the hand that was caressing your cheek.

You'd been with this gang of thugs for little over a year and knew that there wasn't a chance for someone to come rescue you. Before meeting Mokuba, you hadn't noticed that you minded being their slave. Beyond the occasional slaps when you didn't cater to their ever-changing whims no one treated you badly. They even let you be in charge of taking care of Mokuba while they waited for the right time to ask for the ransom. 

Mokuba mumbled something, and you startled awake. You'd been dozing.

"What was that," you asked, sitting forward.

He leaned back away from you and averted his gaze. "I'm a man, you know? Don't think that I'm happy being protected by a girl. You wouldn't have to worry about Seto, I'd handle it."

"Yes, you're already quite a man, despite your age." You leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. 

He blushed and sputtered as you rose from the bed and walked toward the door. "I'm thirteen, that's old enough to be a man!"

"Thank you for your help; I feel a lot better. I have to get to the kitchens for now, though. Don't worry, our plan worked and your brother will be here in no time at all."

"Yeah, Seto will get us out of here, no problem," Mokuba grinned, happy to have made you feel better. 

You didn't respond, but just waved and closed the door to his room. He seemed certain that his brother would want to rescue you, too, but you didn't have the heart to believe that. The way Mokuba spoke about his brother, it seemed like he wouldn't even give a second glance to a nobody like you. Well, you would worry about that when he arrived.

The next day came with a rush. The boss, Hakato, decided that he was going to tell Seto Kaiba the ransom for Mokuba today. This time, though, you weren't allowed to attend the broadcast. Normally you would be happy to be confined to your room, since it gave you a break. However, you desperately wanted to know what was going on, even though you were fairly certain that Hakato wouldn't try to injure Mokuba again. He was smart enough to know that he could only push Seto Kaiba so far before he ruined all chance of getting out of this with the money and his life. The rough-looking bruise on Mokuba's cheek would be all the impetus needed. 

Since you wouldn't be needed this morning, you decided to put a long jacket on over your somewhat revealing outfit. The men weren't allowed to touch you, but that didn't mean that they didn't like to slide their eyes over your skin as much as possible. In your whole wardrobe only this jacket covered your arms and midriff. 

You went over to your small window and opened it. The autumn air was crisp, and you shivered into the jacket a little. The view from your room more than made up for your small quarters and there was little you liked more during your time off than to stare outside. Eventually you were gazing outside without seeing anything in particular. Your mind was blissfully blank since you were just soaking up the warm sunlight. 

A furtive shadow flickered on the edge of your vision. After a moment for the movement to sink in, your head snapped in that direction. It definitely was not the gentle swaying of leaves in the breeze. After a moment, you barely made out a crouching figure in the tree. This was definitely not one of the guys in Hakato's gang. Maybe Kaiba had sent someone as a spy, or to fetch Mokuba. It hadn't been long since he had received Mokuba's clues, but from what he'd told you, Seto was smart enough to figure out your location in no time at all.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to help out a little. Spying one of the lieutenants several yards away, you figured you could leak some information as well as provide a distraction. 

"Hey, Niyama," you called down to him, "Which room is the thing in?"

The lieutenant turned and looked for you. "What are you talking about?"

"The thing with Mokuba, which room is it in?"

"Does it matter?" Niyama walked a little closer to your window in order to stop shouting so loudly. He passed the tree with the crouched figure, leaving the way to Hakato's complex open. 

"Yeah, I cleaned the south room on the second floor yesterday, and I want to know if they've gone in and messed it up again."

"No, they're in the other ballroom," Niyama looked around cautiously, but didn't bother looking in the trees.

"Wait, is that the room on the ground floor? On the north side?"

"What? No, that's a billiards room. The ballroom. The south-east corner on the first floor."

You caught a movement out of the corner of your eye and knew that the figure had headed south. "Ah, I was going to clean that room next week. I suppose I'll do it tomorrow. Thanks, Niyama."

He waved slightly before returning to his post. You felt a tad guilty. Niyama wasn't a bad guy, and if it somehow got out that you had used him to give information to the other side, he would probably be punished. Still, it had to be done for Mokuba. Since you didn't have anywhere else to go you could resign yourself to this kind of life, but Mokuba had a brother and a home. Keeping him with Hakato's gang would just be too harsh. 

Turning back to your room, you approached your door and leaned against it, listening for anyone outside. There weren't any voices or shuffling of feet, so you figured that most everyone would be in the south-east ballroom. You shoved a bent hairpin into the door jam and jiggled the handle just right. Something clicked and the door swung open easily. You suspected that it hadn't been installed correctly, but that suited you just fine. 

The hallway was empty, and you decided to head north to the servant's staircase. Almost no one used it, and you figured you could get down to the kitchens without being seen. From there, you could easily listen through the pantry wall into the ballroom. You had been contented to wait, but now that there was someone in the compound you couldn't stay away from the action. 

You were just outside the kitchen when you heard someone approaching. You didn't have time or anyplace to hide, so you faced whoever was coming and hoped they didn't know that you were supposed to be confined. You were surprised to see that it was Mokuba, accompanied by a tall, unfamiliar man in a long coat. He was the figure from outside, you supposed.

Mokuba picked up his pace when he saw you. "Hey, you were supposed to be in your room. What are you doing here?"

"Investigating. You were supposed to be in the ballroom, Mokuba. What are you doing here?"

"Escaping."

The tall man caught up with Mokuba when he stopped to talk to you, and put a hand on his shoulder protectively. He glared at you and said, "Mokuba, we don't have time for chitchat. Let's go." 

Mokuba looked up at his escort, but then back to you with furrowed brows. "You're coming with us, right?" This time the man glared at the younger boy. He was in a bad mood, and he scared you a little.

"I don't know, Mokuba. I don't think that would be a very good idea," you said. You really did want to go, but it didn't look like the commanding man who had come for him was going to put up with a tag-along. 

"How would staying here be a better idea? No, I'm not leaving you behind."

The tall man's glare intensified. "Mokuba, is this what you meant when you said you had something to do first? We do not have time for this!"

"Come on, Seto. She was the one who gave me all the information to pass on to you in the video yesterday. We can't just leave her here." Mokuba grabbed onto his brother's arm, forcing him to look into his pleading eyes.

This was Seto Kaiba? You no longer had to wonder what happened to Hakato and all of the men he had surrounding Mokuba. He was even more intimidating than you had imagined, and you were already a little scared of his reputation. He turned to regard you thoughtfully, but the frown on his face made you recoil a little.

You figured a little extra persuading wouldn't hurt. "I, uh, I also have a window on the first floor?" 

Comprehension crossed his face, and he looked down at Mokuba who stepped across and grabbed your hand. He stared at Seto defiantly. 

"Fine. She can come as long as she doesn't slow us down," he acceded. He promptly turned to head out of Hakato's complex, not waiting for you and Mokuba. 

Mokuba smiled triumphantly. "This is great. Do you need to grab anything before we go?"

In response, you smiled cynically and followed Seto, still hanging on to the younger brother's hand. As you left the only place you'd really known, your smile gradually turned into one of pure joy. Maybe you could finally have someplace you truly belonged. The thought felt ticklish and you beamed at Mokuba. Once Seto's helicopter was in view, you both broke into a run, finally free.


	2. Homeless and Happy

The helicopter ride back to Domino City was awful. All of your joy leaving Hakato's complex leaked out of you as the trip began. You sat stiffly, trying not to move or make any noise. Seto seemed extremely tense, and you thought it would be best if he forgot you were even there. Mokuba was the only one who was relaxed; he was busy recounting all the times he nearly escaped and the guards he beat up. You didn't recall any of this actually happening, but didn't pipe up since that would ruin your efforts to become invisible. 

Mokuba had tried to engage both you and Seto in conversation with little success. Seto grunted his short responses and you were too nervous to offer much. The drone of the helicopter filled the cockpit instead, which somehow made you more nervous. You silently rejoiced when Domino City came into view and Seto started to descend on top of Kaiba Corp.

The Kaiba brothers were met with a swarm of men in suits trying to ascertain the situation and safety of the heads of the company. You exited the helicopter and skirted the edge of the crowd, trying to quietly sneak away while everyone was distracted. No luck, the door down from the roof was locked. You tried to find a way to bypass the system, but it required a keycard.

"Hey, where are you going?" You turned to find Mokuba behind you, hands on his hips.

"Just seeing myself out. You guys seemed busy." You shuffled a bit uncomfortably. Your goal had been to get out without too many questions being asked.

“No way. I’m going to see you all the way home. It’s the least I could do.” He turned on a heel, diving back into the crowd still surrounding his brother. You closed your eyes tightly, trying to fight the horrible dread building in your chest. The topic of home was a touchy subject. Until now, you’d always been able to dodge the subject by bringing up Seto again, but Mokuba wasn’t going to be distracted anymore.

It took quite some time before the confusion on the rooftop began to abate. You contemplated ducking through the door when the suits started leaving, yet couldn’t bring yourself to so obviously disappoint Mokuba. You sat close to the edge of the roof and stared out over the city. It was a nice day, warm with just enough breeze to keep from being hot. Shadows from the clouds flowed over the buildings below. It filled you with a kind of wistful melancholy. Eventually, the only ones left roof side were the brothers Kaiba and a few guys checking over the helicopter, so you stood and went to see what Mokuba wanted to do now. He seemed to be trying to convince Seto of something, probably to escort you home.

When Mokuba saw you approaching, he broke off the conversation. “Are you ready to go? We’ll drive you.” Seto glowered behind him. You’d hoped that he would be too busy to come along, but reasoned that you wouldn’t want your brother out of your sight for months after they’d been kidnapped, either. Especially not to go with some stranger to some strange place.

It took another long while before the three of you finally made it down to the ground level and into Seto’s car. You were driving away from the building when Mokuba turned around to look at you. “So, where is your house?”

You put on the best smile you could muster. “Oh, you don’t have to take me all the way. Just drop me off at a train station on the main line. I can find my way from there.”

“Don’t be silly. Just tell us the address. Seto has most of the streets memorized, I bet we wouldn’t even need GPS.” He grinned at his brother. 

Seto’s only response was to speed up to make it through an intersection and mutter, “Mokuba, face forward.”

You started to say, “I really don’t want to bother you with the details,” when Seto cut you off with a growl.

“Stop dodging. Otherwise, you might make Mokuba think you don’t want him to know any of your personal information.” A sharp glance from the rearview mirror made you start. “At least tell me in what direction to drive.” 

Mokuba gave you a look over his shoulder, suddenly worried. Your heart wrenched. “That isn’t the case! It’s just complicated. My apartment’s on a back street, and uh, I’m not even sure if it’s mine anymore. I have been gone a while.” Mokuba seemed to relax, and you did too until Seto cleared his throat. “Ah, head toward that park, you know, um, the one with the statue everyone meets at.”

“Hachiko?” Mokuba twisted around again. “I’ve always wanted to go see Hachiko.” Seto reached over and pushed his shoulder, making him face the front.

You took a gamble with your response. “It’s really cute. Maybe we can stop for a minute. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

Seto’s cold eyes found your face in the mirror again. You flushed in response, feeling guilty, and avoided his gaze. Suddenly the car lurched as Seto guided the Bentley into a parking lot at the last second. When the car stopped, he was pulling you out of the car before you understood what was happening. Mokuba scrambled out of the front seat. “Seto?”

He ignored his younger brother in favor of using his eyes to burn a hole through your soul. Eventually, he spoke. “Hachiko is in Tokyo. Either you’re lying to us, or you neglected to speak up when we were flying over it earlier. Whichever it is, you’re wasting our time. So speak up now,” he paused. “Where do you live?”

You cringed, muttering, “I don’t remember.”

The reaction was almost immediate. Disgust and contempt briefly fought on Seto’s face before contempt won. Mokuba looked shocked and sympathetic. He started to say something, but Seto cut him off. 

“You really think we’d believe such a far-fetched story like that. Amnesia, really?” Seto spat. “You apparently have some major issues, but I doubt losing your memory is one of them. If you don’t want us to know about your personal life, that’s your business. Just don’t confuse us with fools.” He turned and pushed Mokuba toward the car. “You want to be left to yourself, so go ahead.” Mokuba tried to struggle and reason with Seto, but nothing worked. Soon you were left in the parking lot with empty cars and the sound of squealing tires.

You stood motionless for a few minutes until a shadow fell over you. Looking up you saw that the clouds passing overhead had solidified into a grey sheet. The Kaibas’ reaction had been what you expected, you mused as you set off down the street. Actually, it was better considering the amount of dressing-down you thought you’d get from Seto. Your heart squeezed uncomfortably when you thought of Mokuba’s distressed face as they drove away. He probably believed you whole-heartedly. You thought about finding KaibaCorp’s offices again in order to leave a note of apology but shook your head. It was better to have a clean break. 

Finally, you found what you were looking for- a street directory. You stepped over the textured strip in the sidewalk to read it. The shopping district wasn’t too far away, so you checked your pockets. Thankfully you had a bit of money tucked away. Hakato had mercifully paid you a few hundred yen a day, but you hadn’t had anything to spend it on in his compound. It was all hidden in a pocket you’d sewn on the inside of your jacket, not trusting the thugs you worked for. You counted it and figured you had enough for a few nights at an internet café, at least. Tomorrow you’d look for work to pay for future nights. Tucking the bills back into your jacket, you started off. It would be tough, but the freedom you gained from Hakato would keep your spirit up for quite a while. You hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I KNOW the amnesia angle is overdone in fan-fiction but I promise that it makes sense with canon and has a purpose. Please stay with me! 
> 
> ...is what I say, but I don't have any more written and I don't know if I will any time soon. I'm currently hung up on my YYH story. HOWEVER maybe if enough people read and comment I might become motivated......


	3. Hachimitsu House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have heard my people cry! Three years later and I wrote another chapter because I got some encouraging responses. Readers have power!
> 
> Now, it really has been three years since I wrote the first two chapters, so please forgive any inconsistencies in writing style!

“Another hard day at work, Takeda-sama?” you asked, pouring the middle-aged businessman another drink. “You seem tired.”

“Ah, we always have the same problems day after day. I really wish I had someone I could depend on; all of my employees have to be walked through every step of the process. It really holds up production.” Takeda took a deep sip of his sake. “It is such a relief to spend time here like this.”

“We’re happy to provide at Hachimitsu House,” you replied, using the catchphrase for the Hostess Bar where you currently worked. 

“But here,” he said, beckoning you to move closer to him on the couch. “I don’t mean to bore you with work details. Tell me a little about you.”

Takeda was not one of the handsy customers so you laughed daintily and sat beside him. “Please don’t take yourself lightly, Takeda-sama. I greatly respect you, and appreciate the hard work you must do every day to keep your production line running. I would be honored if you told me a little more about your work. What is causing the most trouble?”

“Ah, well, we’ve discovered from our kaizen meeting that personnel turnover is the biggest obstacle. We don’t have enough well-trained people who properly understand Six Sigma, and- here, you don’t understand this at all, do you?” Takeda shook his head as you smiled sheepishly. “Then here,” he said and drank some more sake, “Let me show you my rakugo routine!” 

You had managed to get a part-time job during the day, but it wasn’t enough for you to live on. Being a hostess meant that as long as you had repeat customers you could earn a lot. You weren’t the prettiest, but you knew how to make the most of what you had and how to flatter men. It was how you had managed to survive the past year in the compound. You were hoping to save enough that you could stop spending your nights in an internet café. An apartment of your own was your current dream.  


The next day, after your job at the coffee shop ended, you went to the local bookstore. You went towards the business section and grabbed a few books on process improvement and Six Sigma, as well as introductions to business and HR. Takeda was one of your few regular customers, and was a pretty decent guy. He seemed kind of happy that you wanted to hear more detail about what he did. He would probably be flattered if you took the time to read up on his problems. And really, you had nothing else to fill the scant downtime you had between shifts. 

The next time Takeda came in, he was delighted that you were able to talk about the different approaches to process improvement. The companion he brought was also surprised. Your supervisor was worried- often men came to a hostess bar to forget about work, but you were careful not to let the mood get heavy. They taught you a little more, and clarified some things that you hadn’t understood from the books you bought.

Your regular clients increased steadily as Takeda brought more people to see the business-savvy hostess. They even started calling you ‘Buchou.’ You found that rather than learning for the sake of your clients, you actually liked it this subject. Since the amount you were earning went up, you decided you could afford to take a special course and become certified in business.

One day, the owner of the hostess bar pulled you off the floor to talk to you. You went to her office, and sat on the edge of your chair. You hadn’t been this nervous when you applied, but now you were worried about losing this well-paying job, especially since you had already visited with a real estate agent about looking at some small apartments. 

“Don’t worry,” Mama-san said, settling back in her chair. “I’m not going to fire you. Your approach is unconventional, but there’s no doubt that some of the clients really connect with you. No, I’m offering you a job.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” you said. “I’m not fired but you’re going to hire me? I’m sorry if you thought I was volunteering my time but I’m not giving back the paychecks you’ve already given me.”

She laughed. “No, I’m giving you an opportunity to work for Hachimitsu House off-floor. My partner just sold to me his part of the business, and left his side of things in a complete mess. I need someone to help me get things straightened out so that the bar isn’t affected. Those businessmen out there seem to value you, so I’ll give you a chance.”

“Strangely, I would feel bad just cutting things off with my clients that way,” you said. “We were planning to have some big discussions in the future. Besides, in a way I owe this whole opportunity to them.”

“Alright, then you will still be expected to work a few nights on the floor,” Mama-san said, chewing on the end of her glasses. “The pay for your office-work is significantly better, but I suppose I like having hostesses who are loyal to their clients.” 

You beamed. “Thank you, Mama-san. Where shall I work tonight?”

“You’ll work on the floor tonight, but take these,” she handed a binder and a few files over the desk to you. “Read them over so that you can have a running start when you come in tomorrow. Don’t worry, they’re not sensitive documents.”

When you went back out to the floor, Takeda was waiting for you. “Takeda-sama! Mama-san is going to let me work in the office,” you gushed. “I can finally use all of the knowledge you taught me.”

Takeda frowned. “Ah, is that so,” he said dourly. He almost seemed to be pouting. 

“Don’t worry,” you said, setting down the tray with drinks. “I’ll be able to come out and spend some time with you from time to time. Don’t forget me just because I won’t be around as often.” You pouted a little yourself, making your eyes as big and sad as possible.

Takeda softened. “Well, here. I hadn’t been sure of whether to give this to you or not, but now it can be your reward for your hard work.” He brought a small, thin box out of his inner jacket pocket. 

“It’s so cute,” you gushed over the polka dot wrapping. “Can I open it?” When he nodded you removed the paper carefully. Inside was a beautiful abalone-shell pen and letter-opener set. 

Takeda cleared his throat a little. “A businessman’s must-have item. Well, I hope it’s pretty enough to suit you.”

“It’s just lovely. Thank you so much for thinking of me, I don’t deserve such kind consideration.” You leaned in and kissed him swiftly on the cheek. 

He muttered, embarrassed, before finally reaching forward for his cup. “Well, let’s use this opportunity to celebrate!”

The next few months were difficult. Mama-san’s side of Hachimitsu House were decently organized, but her ex-partner’s business sense had been bad. It took you ages to organize and balance all of his accounts, and condense things into reports for Mama-san.

“I knew he was just dead-weight, but this is ridiculous,” Mama-san said archly as you gave her another report with some bad news. “I should have had you working on this before. Maybe then you wouldn’t have to spend so many hours here.” 

You stifled a yawn. “It’s fine, madam.”

She narrowed her eyes at you, scrutinizing you. “I think you should take this extra day out on the floor. You’re hardly fit for entertaining,” she said, looking at the bags under your eyes, “but I think it will be easier on you than another night looking through reports.”

When you went out, Takeda wasn’t there. He wouldn’t be; he had gotten so fond of meeting with you that he didn’t bother coming on your office nights. A couple of your other regulars were, and so you were directed to relieve another hostess of their rather large party. 

You spent a few minutes changing into your flashy hostess outfit and putting enough make-up on to cover your exhaustion. You didn’t bother with more; the party you were joining had been there for a while already, and would be buzzed enough to not care.

They had ordered another couple bottles of wine, so you carried them over to the private booth. “Excuse me,” you said as you entered, then stopped in horror. Seto Kaiba was sitting at the far end of the table, listening to one of your regulars telling a story. You almost backpedaled out of the room, but the other hostess spotted you.

“Speak of the devil, here’s Buchou-chan with the wine,” she chirped happily. Every eye turned to look at you.

Starting to sweat, you looked at anyone but Seto. “Oh, complaining about me behind my back? I’m so hurt,” you tried a teasing tone, but it sounded a little strained. 

“Yes,” said Ootani, the regular who had been talking to Seto. “I mean, no. I was telling Kaiba-san about the worker bee at Hachimitsu who works very hard, you know. It’s you~ you got so good that Mama-san snatched you up and now we mere mortals have to wait to speak with you for even a moment.” 

“Ootani-sama is too kind. It is all your splendid teaching that has allowed me this opportunity,” you said, trying really hard not to look at Seto, even though you could feel his eyes burn into you. 

Ootani beckoned you, so you came to his end of the table. You wanted to sit between him and the man on his other side, but he stubbornly guided you to the seat next to Seto. “Meet Kaiba Seto-san. We’re celebrating a collaboration between our companies.” He dropped his voice into a stage whisper still easily heard, “He’s ~awful~ at these social things you know, but this time he just couldn’t refuse. Be kind to him, eh?”

You giggled and winked conspiratorially, but still couldn’t bring yourself to do more than glance at Seto when you set his drink in front of him. Although it would be fine if he treated you as no more than a stranger, he neither ignored you or engaged you, choosing instead to stare at you haughtily. You finally worked up the courage to say something to him directly. “Kaiba-sama, what are you collaborating with Senya Corporation on?”

“It cannot be discussed.” 

Ootani frowned. “Eh, Kaiba-san, this is Buchou-chan, you know. We can bend the rules a little for her. She won’t tell anyone, ~right?” 

“Of course not, Ootani-sama. But if Kaiba-sama feels he cannot discuss it with me, we have to respect it.” You tilted your head endearingly. “I’d hate to cause any legal trouble.”

“And why is that?” asked Seto. You flushed but were saved from answering.

“Because it’s bothersome~,” said Ootani. “Honestly Kaiba-san. You know, you’re so rigid. Have some sake.” He pushed another cup towards Seto even though he already had one sitting untouched in front of him. 

The rest of the night went slowly as your table did several rounds of karaoke. Seto didn’t participate any more than he had to, but didn’t try to disrupt you as you worked. He just sat and watched. You wanted to know how Mokuba was doing, but dared not ask in front of the group. 

Seto never touched the drinks that were ordered for him, so eventually you slipped away to make him a cup of coffee. Rather than go with the stuff at the bar, which was cheap, you went to the office for your personal supply of coffee from the shop you worked at in the mornings. Seto seemed like a man who was picky about what he drank. You poured carefully, and then hurried to serve it while it was hot. You placed it in front of him surreptitiously, so that the other clients wouldn’t inquire about the special treatment. Thinking that he was more likely to drink it if you weren’t watching, you busied yourself with raucously making Ootani-san choose a song for you.

Eventually, the clients went home. You were very glad the bar was closing. Besides your usual amount of drinks, you also drank from Seto’s untouched cups so that he could save face in front of his associates. Even if he left you stranded in the city, he did rescue you from that complex. And you wanted him to think better of you, even if just a little. 

Your head swam as you left the building, so you hit it against the doorway as you went past. Definitely on purpose. To clear it. Mama-san may have made a mistake in thinking that tonight would be restful for you. To be fair you would probably sleep and sleep and sleep so deep and be late to the coffee shop-eep. Coffee sheep. You started to giggle.

You didn’t stop giggling even when a hand grabbed your arm. Seto swung you around to face him. “You drank the coffee sheep,” you commented proudly.

He didn’t get the joke. “This is a waste of my time,” he sneered and dropped your arm. “Are you even old enough to drink?” He turned to go without waiting for an answer.

“Wait,” you tried to grab his sleeve and missed. “How is Mokuba? I miss him.”

He turned, the force of his gaze making you recoil a little. “He is worried about you. As if he should spare a thought on a woman no better than she ought to be. How dare you waste Mokuba’s good will by going back to this lifestyle?”

You frowned, trying to pull your mind back in so you could focus. “He doesn't have to find out about this. I have a respectable job. I work at a café. This job,” you waved an arm at the building behind you, smacking a hand on a signboard, “helps me save enough to get on my feet. My feet have good shoes, now.” You lifted a foot and wiggled it. “This is a good place; the people are nice to me. I won’t do it forever. I’m getting a business certif-ificate.”

“So I’ve been told. I’ll believe it once I see proof,” Seto said, looking down his nose at your flushed face.

You took a deep breath to respond, but let it all out in a rush as Mama-san touched your shoulder. “Exuse me, Kaiba-sama,” she said coldly, “But outside relations with our hostesses are prohibited. If you are looking for a companion, I suggest you try another bar.”

She must not have heard your whole conversation. “No, Mama-san. I am acquainted with Kaiba-sama’s relative. We were just catching up.” You tried to put on a carefree expression. 

Mama-san raised an eyebrow, but since you weren’t giving any of the hostess hand signals that meant ‘help,’ she accepted your answer. 

“Then we bid you good night, Kaiba-sama,” she said with a bow. You bowed also, a second too slow. When you straightened, Mama-san looped her arm through yours and led you down the street, Hachimitsu House’s catch following behind for protection. You glanced back at Seto, but he was already climbing inside of his car. 

“You need to be careful,” chided Mama-san as you reached your apartment. “Kaiba is powerful and rich. If he’s coming on too strongly, tell me right away.” 

“Thank you, Mama-san, but he’s not interested in me that way. I think I disgust him a little.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Even so. Perhaps Koichi will walk you back from now on,” she looked inquiringly at the man who had walked with you. Koichi was a ‘catch’ for the bar, a guy on the street who worked to invite new customers. 

He inclined his head. “Of course, Mama-san.”

Koichi did walk you home for a while, but since Seto never returned and there were no other incidents, you finally convinced Mama-san that it wasn’t necessary. Your new apartment, while small, was quiet and safe. 

You had finally gotten through most of the mess the ex-partner left behind and had restructured things to work under Mama-san’s sole ownership. You put together a final report with a summary of changes and recommendations for future actions and took it to her office.

“Here is my last report, Mama-san. Thank you so much for this opportunity,” you said with a bow.

“Oh?” She glanced over the report quickly. “I didn’t know you were so eager to work only on the floor again.”

“I understood that this would be a temporary situation,” you said. You tried to read Mama-san’s expression, but she looked just as she always did: aloof and sensual. 

She looked up at you. “You passed your special course, didn’t you?”

“Yes, Mama-san. I have a business certification now.”

A small box was sitting on her desk. Mama-san picked it up and tossed it to you. “Then here. Congratulations, Buchou-chan.” Inside were beautifully done business cards stating that you were the manager of Hachimitsu House. You pressed your lips together so they wouldn’t tremble. Mama-san smiled gently. “Let’s work well together from now on.”

“Please take care of me,” you warbled, bowing deeply. 

That night you were scheduled to be on the floor. Again, Mama-san had given you the choice of quitting hostess work immediately, but you couldn’t leave your regular clients without a proper goodbye. She had responded with a knowing smile. Somehow it seemed like she was hiding something. You mused over it while finishing your makeup and applying your signature scent, but couldn’t figure it out. Well, the day you figured out Mama-san would probably be the day that Seto Kaiba respected you. You laughed sardonically.

When you entered the entertaining floor, something seemed off. All the hostesses grinned a little too wide, and you were practically shoved along until you came to the booth with the party you were assigned. 

“Excuse me,” you started to say as you opened the door, but were stopped by confetti and streamers being shot at you. 

“Congratulations, Buchou-chan,” yelled Takeda, Ootani, and a few more regular clients. Takeda rose and put a sash of roses over your head, while Ootani lit the candles on a cake. Someone else started pouring an orange juice cocktail into glasses. 

“Eh? What’s this? I should be doing that,” you said, trying to take the drink pitcher, but they pushed you down onto a couch gently. 

“No, this party is for you,” Takeda said proudly. “You won’t serve at your own party.”

“Is what we say,” added Ootani, “but this is just a little party for now; later the rest of my associates will arrive to celebrate the launch of our product and we’ll need you to set the mood.” He placed his palms together in front of his face. “Sorry.”

You laughed. “Of course I will, Ootani-sama.”

The party was already lively, with Takeda teasing Ootani about the candles on the cake, “This isn’t a birthday, Tanicchi.” 

“Boo~, Take-kun. I thought Buchou-chan would want a wish, you know,” Ootani pouted.

You were touched. A birthday cake and a wish was not something you ever expected to have, although he wouldn’t have known that. Pulling the cake close to you, you closed your eyes and blew out the candles.

“What did you wish for?” Ootani wanted to know.

Takeda scoffed. “She can’t tell you.”

You kissed both men on the cheek. “I wished to always be with you always,” you told them, winking. Everyone hollered and teased the two men as you started to cut the cake. 

Once everyone had been served, they all brought out small presents. A stationary set, a briefcase, and other small trinkets for working in an office. 

“I don’t know how to thank you all,” you said, a little teary.

“Business cards,” suggested someone. “Do you have a business card?” 

You had wanted to glance at them occasionally during the evening, so you had placed the box from Mama-san in your pocket. You drew it out now, taking the cards and moving them to a business-card holder you had just received. Then you went around the room, handing them to each man two-handed and with a bow. 

After a while, the rest of Ootani’s party arrived and you said goodbye to those regulars who weren’t a part of his company. Senya Corporation was renting the whole bar, so you moved to the main floor to work with the other hostesses. You were handing out party poppers to be used later when a latecomer arrived. 

“Kaiba-san, finally,” called Ootani. “So glad you could make it. Here,” he handed Seto a party hat like his own. “Come, enjoy yourself.” 

When Ootani turned away to speak to someone else, Seto set the hat down and moved to a seat close to the door, in a corner that looked like it wouldn’t be too rowdy. He crossed his arms and stared above the heads of everyone else there. 

A man got up in front of the room, grabbing a microphone from the bar. “Okay, everyone is here so let’s get started. Welcome to Senya and Kaiba Corp’s product launch party!” The whole room except for one person cheered loudly. “We couldn’t have done it without our splendid leader, Ootani Takahiro. Please come up and make a speech.” 

While Ootani took over the mic, you circulated, making sure that each man had a drink. You set a cup down in front of Seto without looking at him. “Barley tea,” you said, before moving on. After Ootani, a few more people stood up to say something, both from Senya and Kaiba Corp. No one approached Seto to give a speech, which was almost a pity because you would have liked to see how well-received it would be. 

At last the speeches were over, and everyone pulled their party popper to start the festivities. Some hostesses sang karaoke, while others sat with various groups leading party games. You circulated the room, getting more drinks, helping customers, or taking over for another hostess who needed to step away for a moment. 

On one of your passes by Seto’s corner to check on his drink, you noticed some commotion by the door. Koichi was talking to someone, perhaps turning them away since you were booked for a private party. You started over to see if you could help, when someone shoved you roughly behind a fake plant. It was Seto, walking towards the door. “Hey, wha-”

“Seto!” Mokuba called, ducking around Koichi.

You froze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, don't expect a new chapter immediately after commenting like this every time. Although you're encouraged to try~


	4. You Better Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: After becoming permanent manager of Hachimitsu House, you have one last night as hostess. But then Mokuba arrived!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guysssssss. I totally planned on not writing this fic anymore and now look at it! It's grown, and now I even have a proper direction for the plot and everything. UGH how could you do this to me, with all your hits, and comments, and praise, just despicable.

"Mokuba," said Seto, voice raised over the din of the hostess bar, "you shouldn't be in a place like this. I told you to call if anything came up."

Mokuba shook his head and handed Seto a folder, which he immediately flipped open. "There's a problem with the acquisition; I knew you'd want this right away." Curious, Mokuba tried to look around but Seto crowded him, holding the folder so as to restrict his field of vision.

After a minute of study, Seto closed the folder. "This needs my attention. Come, Mokuba. We're leaving." He grabbed Mokuba's shoulder and steered him towards the door, only pausing to say a word to Koichi before exiting.

Behind a nearby plant, you let a deep breath out slowly, trying to calm your pounding heart. You weren't ashamed of what you had done with your life since the last time you'd seen Mokuba but right now, wearing bold make-up and a garish outfit, he wouldn't understand what you had done to better yourself. You hadn't been able to see or talk to him for this long, but you had parted as friends and you couldn't bear to hurt him.

Once you were calm, you went to Koichi to see what Seto had said when he left.

"He said, 'If this is how good you are at a job, it's a wonder you're even employed by this kind of place.'," said Koichi in a deep, mocking voice. "And I'm sure he would have berated me if I'd kept the "Little Brother of the CEO" waiting." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, he's also the vice-president," you said, laughing when Koichi rolled his eyes. "You're doing fine, Koichi," you patted his shoulder and went back to the party. This would be your last night as a hostess, and now that the Pillar of Judgement had left you were free to enjoy it.

For your new role as manager, you had a lot of freedom. You could set your own hours as long as you regularly met with Mama-san, and you could dress however you pleased. You enjoyed your work. Being a hostess had come almost naturally to you, but it just wasn't very fulfilling. Now your work was a challenge and there were endless ways to grow and improve. Not satisfied with your business certificate, you were now working on a management certification.

One day, you sat in the Hachimitsu House office pouring over applications. During an audit you had figured out that a few of the hostesses had been stealing liquor and padding their time. They were fired immediately, but now you had to find someone else. Half of the applicants thought that they just had to look the part, but personality and charisma were actually the most important qualities in order to do well in a hostess bar.

Your stomach growled just as a knock came on the door. "Come in," you called, not looking up. "I hope that's the food I ordered, Koichi, because I'm starving." He didn't answer, instead sitting in one of the chairs across from you. You jotted a few lines on a sticky note and stuck it on one of the applications before glancing up. 

Mokuba sat on the chair in a crisp suit, watching you intently. 

Your heart leapt up into your throat. "Ayeeuah, Mo-okuba, you- you-"

He smirked. "Are not Koichi. Hello, it's been awhile."

"Hello," you squeezed out. "What brings- what are you- uh, are you-" You gave up on articulation, "Why?"

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice you behind that plant?" he asked, picking imaginary lint off of his slacks. "Actually, I've known you worked here for awhile." He chuckled at your slack-jawed expression. "You didn't actually believe that I'd let Seto abandon you, right? I tracked you down as soon as possible which, I admit, took some time."

Something about this crisp, business-like Mokuba didn't quite match with the boy you knew at the compound. The situation was a bit too overwhelming and tears began to fill your eyes. A sob climbed into your throat, but stayed there, squeezing.

"If you knew, why didn't you come see me? I've been so lonely. Everyone here is nice, but you were my first friend and I missed you. I didn't want to inconvenience you so I've been restraining myself from contacting you but you knew all along and never said anything? Were you ashamed of me?" You grabbed a tissue off your desk.

Mokuba panicked, cool demeanor dissolving as he rushed over. "Ah, no, hey, that's not it. That's not it, okay? Aw man," he said under his breath, "this isn't how I imagined this going." He hesitated then touched your shoulder gently. "Let's calm down first and then I'll explain, okay?"

You placed your hand over his and looked up at him, taking big breaths to stop the crying. "Sorry," you said, voice husky. "I don't usually get like this. Something about you makes me a little silly."

Mokuba cleared his throat a little before gently extricating his hand moving back to the other side of the desk to sit down. "When I found you, I was all ready to swoop in and take care of you. I had originally planned for you to live with us. You needn't to worry about anything because Seto and I would take care of it. But you wouldn't have wanted that at all, would you?"

"Being kept, like a pet? No, I wouldn't." You seriously doubted that Seto would have approved that idea, either, but you let Mokuba continue.

"After all, at that point you were already pursuing your business studies. So, I came up with a different plan but that took some time to set in motion. I didn't want to visit until everything was ready in case something went awry."

Somehow the 'something' that might go awry had Seto's face in your imagination. "Okay," you said, "I'm really curious now. What have you cooked up?" Your stomach growled and you ducked your head, sheepishly. 

Mokuba laughed. "Why don't we wait for your food to get here, and then we can discuss it when you're not so- distracted."

It didn't take long before the real Koichi knocked on your door to tell you that your food had arrived. Luckily, you had enough that Mokuba could eat too, since you tended to order enough for a later meal in case you had to stay late at the hostess bar. He insisted on paying for you, anyway, so sharing helped you feel better about that. You knew that it wasn't like he needed to budget money the way you did, but it still felt wrong to have someone younger treat you to lunch. 

"Now," you said, wiping your hands with a napkin, "talk. What's this plan that kept my best friend from coming to visit me?"

Mokuba blushed guiltily before responding. "I've convinced Seto to let me be in charge of a small facet of Kaiba Corporation. It's actually a small department that Seto was going to terminate, but now I can use it to work on my own projects. I have full control over what goes on, as long as I'm keeping up profits and yada yada. Are you in?"

You narrowed your eyes at him. "Okay, it sounds like you're offering me a job, but I'm sure you can't be because there are many reasons why that is a very bad idea."

"What? Look, you're clearly good at this," he gestured animatedly at your crowded desk, "and I need good people in my department. You can't want to manage a hostess bar forever."

"Well, this is a very nice bar."

Mokuba let out a strangled groan. "Just take the offer. We'll work out the details later." 

Something about his demeanor put you off. "Um, no. I can't just 'take the offer.' First of all, I owe Mama-san. She had to do some pretty heavy work-arounds of dubious legality to employ me, which I only think she did because she can recognize someone running from a bad situation. I don't have credible documentation, Mokuba. Kaiba Corp. can't risk employing me." Mokuba opened his mouth, but you raised a hand to stop him. "Also, as you said before, I don't want someone to swoop in and handle things for me. If I'm going to work for Kaiba Corp., I want it to be because I deserve it, not because you 'got me in.' Also, I don't think Seto would ever in a million years let me work there, deserving or not."

"Well, Seto doesn't have a choice," snipped Mokuba. "I'm in full control of this department. Not that he ever takes an interest in HR, anyway. I think you're qualified enough." He stood up and began to pace. "But you're telling me that you don't want to work for me."

"That's not it. Thank you for looking out for me, but I don't want to be handed a job, Mokuba. I want to succeed because of my own ability, not favoritism. You're only asking me because I'm your friend."

"But you would work for Seto?"

"What? Seto's not offering me a job, nor will he. But, if somehow I was qualified enough for Kaiba Corporation and I could pay my debt to Mama-san and my documentation weren't an issue, of course I would love to work there."

Mokuba stopped pacing and frowned into middle distance. Eventually his frown eased and he started to pace again, this time muttering to himself. Then he raised his eyebrows.

"Okay," he began. "Seto's been talking about hiring a management analyst. The position hasn't been approved yet, but they'll probably open it up for applications in a couple months. You're qualified. Think about it, get your debt to Mama-san and your resume figured out, and apply. I promise I won't interfere with their hiring process." He sighed, then came over to grab your hand. "I don't mean to act like I own you, and I see what you mean about the favoritism. I just think that you deserve more than this place," he said, gesturing around.

"I appreciate that, Mokuba." You squeezed his hand. "I'll keep an eye on the Kaiba Corporation job openings." 

After that, both you and Mokuba would have liked to chat, but you really needed to look at the potential new hires. You set up another time to catch up with one another and said farewell.

With a little research, you were able to anticipate what requirements you would need for the position with Kaiba Corp. Management analysts look for ways to improve efficency and revenues within a company, primarily with managers. You were doing well as far as qualifications, especially since you were almost done with your current certification. There wasn't a job opening for anything you were currently interested in, so you signed up for a email alert and put it out of your mind for now; Hachimitsu House still needed a lot of your attention.

Eventually you were able to find a few new hostesses to fill the vacancies. You spent a little time with them, letting them get used to the way the bar ran. You tweaked budgets and changed your liquor supplier to a more expensive, but more reliable company. You met regularly with Mokuba away from the bar. He didn't inquire any more about your employment situation. Instead, you talked about mundane things like his search for a vintage watch of a certain brand, or your recent adoption from the small-animal shelter. 

One morning, as you made breakfast, your e-mail dinged with the news. You checked the new job listing as you ate. The position sounded really interesting; with the size of the company you would never run out of new problems to solve. You didn't see anything in the job description that gave you pause, especially the pay range. You wouldn't have enough experience for the higher-level salary, but the low figure was definitely above what you were currently making. 

You went into Hachimitsu House dreading your talk with Mama-san, but you owed it to her to say right away that you had decided to apply somewhere else. Knocking on her door tentatively, you half hoped that she was on the phone or otherwise busy, but she called out for you to enter.

Mama-san reclined sideways in her chair, one leg over the arm as usual. Business first, you put forth your latest updates as well as future plans. She glanced through the paperwork briefly as you explained. She was still flipping pages when you cleared your throat.

"Mama-san, I will forever be grateful for the opportunity that you have given me here," you began. She glanced up at you, eyebrows raised, and reached for a paper sitting on top of her printer. "Um, there is no way that I could ever express to you how much it means to me that you, uh-" you trailed off as you leaned forward to take the paper from her outstreched hand.

"What do you think of that for the ad?" Mama-san asked. 

You scanned the paper quickly; it was an advertisement for a job opening at Hachimitsu House. Your job. 

"I've had this ever since the little Kaiba came. I'm surprised it took you this long to get out of here," Mama-san said. "When do you start?"

"I haven't applied. The job just came open this morning." You squeezed your eyes shut and shook your head. "Sorry, but how are you so okay with this? I mean, I owe you so much already."

Mama-san frowned sharply. "I don't want to hear about that. When you first came in here, I could see that you had gone through something big. No," she said, holding up a hand when you opened your mouth,"I don't need the details. You needed a place to start from, and I'm happy to have provided it. I knew that you were going to leave us eventually."

"How can I repay you?"

"Don't need it. When my ex-husband abandoned me with nothing, I had help getting started again. I vowed to do that for someone else, someday. Helping you was just self-satisfaction." 

"But my documents, you must have paid a lot for them. I wouldn't have been able to work or get an apartment if you hadn't purchased them for me." 

"Well, I was always going to cover the cost of getting your qualifications and just never got around to it. So, we're even."

"But-"

"Seriously, stop." Mama-san sighed and unhooked her leg from the armrest. Leaning forward in her chair, she looked you dead in the eyes. "I don't want to keep you from your potential just because your past left you with nowhere to go but here. Apply for that job. Apply for other jobs. Don't think about inconveniencing me; employees move on. This is a business, not a family."

You gripped your hem. "Oh. Alright, then, I will simply thank you," you said, rising from your chair and bowing deeply. Mama-san nodded and you left the room quickly. Tears pricked your eyes, and you breathed deeply to banish them. Of course personal feelings had no place in business. Of course, and yet, it was such a firm rejection. 

With no more hesitation, you sped to your office to press 'submit' on the online application form you had already filled out. Once that was done, you finished your regular work perfunctorily and left. No need to extend yourself in this job, anymore. Even if you didn't get the Kaiba Corp. job, you intended to apply for others.

A week later you had received a few responses to your job inquiries. You had a few interviews lined up. Nothing big, mostly clerical work, but the pay was competitive, and gaining work experience outside of the hostess industry and your part-time would do well for your resume. You considered reaching out to Takeda or Ootani, but dismissed it. If you couldn't accept a job from Mokuba, you couldn't take it from a former customer. 

You had just purchased some after-work ice cream when you got the call from Kaiba Corporation. The call was short; there would be a preliminary round of interviews in a few days, you were expected at 10:30 am. 

You weren’t very nervous during that first interview. It wasn’t even held at the main Kaiba Corp. office. They were mainly trying to weed out the people who were late, sloppy, or otherwise unsuited at a glance. You were in and out of the branch office in twenty minutes with a new interview time for the next day.

Although you knew that here was no way that anyone as high-ranking as Seto or even Mokuba would be present at the official interview, your nerves were on high-alert as you entered the building and checked in at the front desk. If Seto even walked through, his sharp senses would pick you up in an instant and throw you out to boot. 

He didn’t appear, and soon you were called back to a small, nondescript office where an HR manager was waiting for you. His relaxed, friendly demeanor put you at ease, and you were able to pull off the interview to your satisfaction. Your interviewer seemed impressed by some of your answers, and even your limited work experience wasn’t a problem.

“Well, our own President earned his position without work experience, so maybe we’re a little soft in that area. Kaiba Corporation focuses on current ability and what you’re willing to give to succeed, not necessarily by what you’ve done in the past,” he said, when you brought it up.

“In that case,” you said, gambling, “I have already put together an initial plan of action that I would like to enact immediately should I be hired. To that end, if I am chosen, please wait to make public that the position has been filled.”

The HR manager raised his eyebrows, but looked like he approved. “Very well,” he said, standing to shake your hand. “Please look forward to our call in the next few days for our decision.”

With the important interview over, you hardly had any enthusiasm for any of the other jobs you applied for. You had asked the interviewer a lot of questions about how Kaiba Corp. was run and it honestly sounded wonderful. It sounded like the perfect fit for you. To cover all your bases you stopped by a shrine on the way home to say a quick prayer for success.

The next day you had a call from one of your other interviews. A small psychiatrist office wanted you for an office manager. You turned them down. It was probably a mistake, since you hadn't heard back from Kaiba Corp., but your instincts told you it wasn't the place for you. 

A few days went by, and you had to accept the fact that you probably didn't get the job. The manager had said that they would call, which you thought meant regardless of whether you got the job or not, but maybe he only meant that they'd call the selected candidate. The thank-you e-mail that you sent after your interview had garnered no reply, either. You were just debating on whether or not you should call and inquire when the phone rang, caller ID stating Kaiba C.

"Hello?" you answered breathlessly, it occurring to you too late to let the phone ring a few times so you didn't seem desparate.

"Hey, are you busy?" asked Mokuba on the other end. 

You deflated, but tried not to let the disappointment into your voice. "No, I'm not. Did you need something?"

"Let's meet up. There's a new donut shop downtown and I was hoping that you would like to come with me."

"So I'm just an excuse to go eat snacks."

"Absolutely."

"Alright, but I'm paying for myself this time."

"No way. See you there!" Mokuba hung up before you could protest any more. Then your e-mail dinged with a new message: the location of the shop. You sighed and got ready, muttering about hopped-up little rich boys.

The donut shop was adorable. The donuts were iced like little forest animals, and the decor was woodland-themed. Mokuba was already there waiting, and he waved you over eagerly. His table was already laden with sweets, a half-eaten bear donut in front of his place, and a fox donut waited for you at the seat across. You sat down, and a waitress took your drink order.

"Look," said Mokuba, brandishing his wrist, "I found a Heuer Autavia 11630 GMT."

You looked closely at the watch dangling loosely from his bony arm. It looked like any old watch from the 70's to you, but you knew that Mokuba was willing to pay several hundred thousand yen for a good addition to his collection. "That's great. I notice it has some scratches, though."

"Yeah, but that's alright. I had to have it so that it's good it was a little cheaper. Seto's nagging at me to stop spending so much on watches as if he doesn't sink thrice as much into making everything that we own into a dragon."

You giggled and took a bite of your donut. "Mm! I didn't know foxes were so delicious." The waitress arrived with your drink and you took a sip to cut through the sweetness.

Mokuba beamed, clearly pleased that you were enjoying his choice. "So, how's Tatsu?"

"Just lazing about like normal. You know, he was a lot more energetic at the shelter."

"That's because he knows that he owns you, now. No need to pretend any more." Mokuba grinned before eating the rest of his donut in one huge bite.

"I guess, I just wish-" your phone rang, "-sorry, one second." You stood and went to answer the call outside without pausing to check the ID.

"Hello," you said.

"Yes, this is Yamashita, we spoke the other day. I'm sorry for the delay, but we would like to offer you the management analyst position here at Kaiba Corporation. Would you be able to start Monday?"

"YES- uh, I mean, of course. Monday would work wonderfully for me. Thank you."

Yamashita chuckled. "As you requested, we'll keep this private. Only a couple people in the company know we've filled the position. Come to my office when you arrive and we'll discuss the details of how you would like to proceed."

"I will see you then, Yamashita-san." You hung up the phone, and had to stop yourself from jumping into the air, instead settling for a fist bump. 

You turned and ran back into the shop to tell Mokuba the news, but he was already sitting there with a smug look on his face.

"So, what was that call about," he asked with a smirk.

"You little shit," you accused, "You knew all along, didn't you."

"I am vice-president, you know; the HR manager needed approval, so of course I found out. I was really pleased when he gave me your name as his top pick. Congratulations."

"Thank you," you hid your face in your hands and shook your head. "I finally feel like I can really start over. I can pretend to have a normal life since no one at Kaiba Corp. will have any idea about my past."

"Except for Seto and me."

Seto's name punched a hole through your elation. "Seto will fire me as soon as he finds out. He really doesn't like me. Why didn't I think of this, Mokuba? I can't avoid notice forever." You started to panic, curling your fingers into your cheeks.

Mokuba reached forward and pulled your hands away from your face. "I thought of it. You'll just have to prove yourself before he finds out. Once he sees how good you are- you are good- he won't fire you," he said, squeezing your hands. "Probably," he added.

"That's about as comforting as a blanket made of hedgehogs," you said, but took a deep breath. "There's nothing for it anyway. I'll just have to try my best and if I do get fired it will be an excellent resume booster."

"That's what I like to see, nice optimism."

"Or delusion."

"Our number one job requirement," Mokuba chirped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, we're allllmost to the end of this stuff. I knowwwww it's awful not having any relationship building, but this character building is kind of important! If Kaiba was the kind of guy to fall for just anyone, he wouldn't be Kaiba. Gotta hang on for just a little more. I hope cute Mokuba moments help make up for it!


	5. Kaiba Corporation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Work-Life balance? What's that?

You glanced at the clock; it was already half-past five. Most of the employees have trickled out by this time, but a few stay behind. KaibaCorp didn't pay overtime, but they didn't really require it, either. You worked until the job was done. If you were done by five you could go, but if you needed to finish up an assignment you were expected to stay as long as it took. Right now was fine, but during certain times of the year, this department could be so busy that plenty of people practically lived in the building. You hoped to have moved on by then.

In order to begin your work as Management Analyst, you needed to understand how Kaiba Corporation worked from the inside. Normally, you would just observe various departments to do this, but you figured that if they knew that an analyst was looking over their shoulders, all of the employees would be working as diligently as possible, skewing the results. So instead, Yamashita would make it known that the chosen MA candidate wouldn't be able to begin work for a few months due to personal reasons, and you would start work as a temp. This way you would easily be able to examine the attitudes and work ethic of both employees and managers. After a month or so in each department, you would make recommendations to increase efficiency and be "transferred" to another section.

You had begun in the sales department. Initially, your main duties were to act as a gofer and make coffee and tea so that you could serve it at meetings. After all, no one but Yamashita and Mokuba knew what you were really doing here. To everyone else, you were just someone with little experience trying to climb the ladder. After finally proving to the Department Head that you weren't a flake, you had moved on to regular duties: completing paperwork, condensing data, preparing presentation materials, and the like.

Hanako Miura was assigned to be your trainer. She was a cheerful woman with round cheeks and shoulder-length hair. She was so energetic that you were certain that she had been team captain of some sport or another in high school. Hanako was very helpful in showing you the ropes, even if she did tend to push off the most mundane and mind-numbingly simple tasks onto you.

You filed your stack of papers from the day slowly, checking over documents and examining the filing system. A few things were out of place and duplicated unnecessarily. You made notes about anything you had found throughout and went back to your assigned desk and to wake up the computer. You were given two logins; one for your analyst work, and one for your temp work. Now that no one was around to look over your shoulder you logged into the analyst side.

Kaiba Corporation had a structure tree program. In it, you could easily see the hierarchy of employees, managers, and directors, all the way up to the CEO Seto Kaiba. You spent a few hours studying the tree in order to understand more about the way the company was built. It was enormous. There were actually several trees, for all the different capacities that KaibaCorp operated in. For now, you focused on the main gaming technology tree, but there were still thousands of employees. Sooner or later you were going to look at every job, but that wasn't a project for right now.

After several pages of notes, you finally shut down your work computer, changed out of the yellow turtleneck and white blazer that was the uniform, buzzed out of the building, and hustled down to the station to make the last train, yawning and knowing that you were going to regret staying so late.

The by the time Friday arrived, you were exhausted. Yamashita had agreed to your little experiment on the condition that your work as an analyst didn't lag just because of your duties in each department. This meant that you were working double, with no extra pay to make up for it. You dreamed about taking the weekend off to just sleep, eat, and cuddle with Tatsu.

You were daydreaming about what take-out food you were going to buy for your weekend, so you didn't notice Hanako waving you over as you entered the changing room after work. You jumped when she tapped you on the shoulder.

"Hey, the work isn't that hard, is it? You'd better not space out like this on your way home, or some creep is going to attack you," Hanako scolded.

"Sorry, Miura-san. I'll be careful. Did you need something?"

She brightened up. "Tell me you don't have any plans for tomorrow. We've organized a welcome party for you! It's at that nice little yakiniku place a few streets over."

You really, really wanted to decline but decided that doing so would paint you as an unsociable person, and even if that's true it would draw too much attention, so you said, "That's really nice of you. I'll be there."

And so you were, although a little late. Your nap went longer than you expected it to, so everyone had gathered by the time you arrived. You got to have the wonderful experience of everyone staring at you as you came in, and were directed to a seat at the middle of the long table, right between the office ladies and the salesmen. The waitress brought you a drink, and then you were forced to introduce yourself. Everyone else then went around the table saying their names and positions, after which they celebrated with a little toast in your honor.

Finally done with formalities, everyone dissolved back into the little conversations that they had started before you arrived. You ordered an entree and looked around, trying to cement everyone's names in your mind. Eventually, your eyes met with the salesman sitting catty-corner to you and he smiled. Manabu Irie, you recalled. He seemed fashionable with an open, friendly face, swept up hair, and glasses. You looked at the side of his face through the lenses-- no distortion. The glasses were fake.

He leaned toward you. "Are you settling in okay? Miura-chan says that you're getting along well."

"Thank you, Irie-san. It's a little overwhelming, but everyone has been really kind."

"The coffee you make for the meetings is amazing. What's your trick to it?"

"Well, my previous job was at Kurotsuki Coffee, have you heard of it?"

He pulled out his phone. "No, I haven't," he said, typing the name in. "Do you use their coffee? Ah, I see, it's in that neighborhood, huh? I'll have to go check it out because the stuff you make is delicious."

You bowed your head slightly. "Thank you very much, although, I no longer work there. I use the coffee that KaibaCorp provides, but the shop owner taught me a trick to it."

"Well, share with the class."

"No way. If I tell you, you won't be impressed anymore."

"No," he said smoothly. "I will be." He gazed at you warmly, a small grin on his face.

You could tell you were about to blush, so you glanced away and took a sip of your oolong tea. Luckily, you were saved from responding by the arrival of the food. Irie took over the grill for your section of the table, and soon everyone was eating well. Most of your coworkers ordered alcohol, but you didn't. You worried about what you might end up saying; any mention of what had happened before you came to KaibaCorp or your relationship with Mokuba could make things awkward. It hadn't mattered at the hostess bar, but here you didn't want to take any chances. A couple of the other salesmen tried to order some for you, but luckily Hanako and Irie stood up for you.

The party started to wind down. A few people were all for going to karaoke for an after-party, but you begged to be excluded. Irie offered to walk you back to the station, and you waved goodbye to the rest of your coworkers.

At first, the both of you chatted a bit about some of your other coworkers as you walked, then you fell into a companionable silence. The energy of the party had propped you up, but now you felt all of your missed sleep pressing down on you.

Suddenly, Irie pulled on your elbow, jerking you aside. Your eyes flew open; he had just saved you from walking straight into a telephone pole. Irie grabbed your shoulders lightly, steadying you as you swayed.

"You really must have had a hard week, to be sleeping while you're walking. You ought to be more alert; it could be dangerous."

You laughed a little. "You sound like Miura-san."

"I'm serious." He frowned a little. "Maybe I should accompany you all the way home, but you probably don't feel comfortable taking someone you just met to your house."

"No, sorry. It's fine if you just take me to this station. I'm awake now, and my house isn't far from my station, so I'll be fine." You started walking again, and Irie jogged to catch up to you.

He looked doubtful. "I'm still worried," he said, tapping a finger against his mouth thoughtfully. "Hmmm, normally I would have you call me when you arrived home, but perhaps that's too soon as well. "

"Sorry. I really will be fine. Look," you said as you turned the corner, "we're already here."

He sighed, defeated. "Well, there's nothing for it now, but listen," he put his hands on his hips like he was about to scold. "If you don't make it into work tomorrow, then I'm going to have them write 'stubborn fool' on your gravestone."

You stuck out your hand for a handshake. "Deal."

After shaking on it, you thanked Irie again for walking with you and made it home without incident. You weren't sure what to make of him. Of course, you were wary, but he did seem very nice. He was considerate, not just with you, but with a lot of your coworkers at the party. It was hard to tell what his intentions were, though. He seemed a little too interested to just be friendly, but perhaps he was one of those natural playboys who flirted without knowing.

You wondered how you should act around him from now on. It could be he just wanted to be friends, and that was fine. However, if he wanted more than that, well. With the way things were, you couldn't imagine being in a relationship. You decided to just let it play out. There was no sense in worrying about it until you knew more.

The next day, Irie gave you a thumbs up when he saw you in the hallway, but other than that made no attempt to distract you from your work.

The work itself was getting a little easier; you had found a balance between work roles and proper rest. You were impressed by what you saw as you examined the sales department and KaibaCorp as a whole. It was obvious that a company so big would need a good structure to keep functioning, but it was amazing to see it in action. With that, though, you could see several small problems, and there would probably be more as you delved deeper into other departments. It was nothing unexpected, though, and the whole reason you had been hired was to fix them.

Hanako invited you to go out shopping with her one warm Saturday. It was nice to get out and socialize with another woman. The Hachimitsu House hadn't been the type of place where you got close to your coworkers. And honestly, you probably shouldn't get too close with individuals in each department in KaibaCorp, either. You wanted to avoid any troublesome sentimentality later when you got to the point of cutting jobs, but Hanako was hard to say no to.

Things had gone smoothly as you shopped until you stopped at a convenience store for some refreshments on your way back.

"Ah," said Hanako, pointing at a shelf, "this dagashi! I haven't had this since I was a kid." She picked up the small packet and showed it to you. "Look, it's Umaibo. I'll get us a lot, okay? What are your favorite flavors?"

You looked at the colorful package intently, but nothing came to mind. "Oh, um," you began, "I don't know."

Hanako nudged you. "Now, don't be shy. Just tell me; I'll get them."

Searching your mind, you still came up with nothing. You tried the usual excuse. "Sorry, but I haven't tried them before, so I really don't know." You braced yourself for her reaction. Hanako tended to extremes.

She gasped, nearly dropping the Umaibo she held. "Really? You've never tried one before? How? They're a classic!"

"Yeah, there are a lot of things I don't know about. I was pretty sheltered," you said, hoping she wouldn't press any further.

"Wow, I had no clue," Hanako said. "You seem pretty normal to me."

"That's good? I guess."

She turned back to the shelf and analyzed the display. "Well, then I guess you're just going to have to try them all," she said, scooping up a few handfuls.

After you both had paid, you went to sit in a nearby park to enjoy your purchases. Hanako carefully set aside one of each Umaibo flavor for you to try, suggesting that you make a game of it.

"Okay," she said, removing a wrapper and handing you the stick. "What flavor is this?"

First, you smelled, it, but couldn't figure it out, so you went to take a small nibble.

"Just bite it," Hanako said. "They're all delicious."

You steeled yourself and took a big crunch. It was puffed corn, flavored with a familiar sweetness. "Chocolate," you said, finishing the stick in two more bites. "That's pretty normal." A twinkle in Hanako's eye when she handed you the next one made you cautious, but if they had normal flavors like chocolate, you weren't too worried.

The next bite was spicy, followed by a strong fish flavor. "That is-" you coughed, cracking open the drink you just bought, "not a good follow-up flavor." Hanako laughed. She promised not to juxtapose flavors like that again but continued trying to make you guess before you took a bite. Eventually, you begged a reprieve. Umaibo were small, but you hadn't been hungry, to begin with so after eight or nine flavors you were at your limit. You promised Hanako that you would finish the rest later, and said goodbye.

You wanted to let your stomach settle from all the Umaibo, so you remained on the bench for a while. The sun caressed your shoulders and you wondered if it would be strange to fall asleep here. Well, it was a pretty public park, so you didn't want to do something so risky, but you closed your eyes and tilted your head back against the backrest anyway.

You needed to consider your interpersonal relationships. It was obvious that if anyone knew how well you knew Mokuba or even Seto, everyone would assume that you only worked at KaibaCorp because they used their influence, even if you were only seen as a temp. Your initial plan had been to keep a distance between yourself and others, but it was proving harder than you had thought. Hanako was particularly nice. A small part of you wanted to tell her the truth about your amnesia. She would probably be really supportive. However, you had also heard Hanako gossiping, albeit without malice. If she slipped, the rumors would inundate the office, perhaps making it all the way up to Seto himself. If Seto heard that someone with amnesia worked for him, he would not think it a coincidence.

Your job was important to you and you had barely even begun. If Seto found you out now, you would be fired. Your career would halt, and then where would you be? Who would you be? You frowned. Questions like that would only lead to trouble. Personal journeys could wait until after financial and workplace stability. All you had to do was be alert and make sure that the only person who wanted to see you fail didn't find out until you had been able to make some significant progress. Seto could be reasonable and he appreciated excellence, so once you proved yourself indispensable there wouldn't be anything to worry about. Maybe.

Suddenly you felt cooler; a shadow had blocked the sun. It must be getting late. You opened your eyes, intending to check the time, but stopped cold. As if your thoughts had summoned him, Seto Kaiba stood next to your bench.

You sat up slowly as if you were facing down a bear who would attack with any sudden movement. He certainly looked like he was waiting for an excuse to hit you.

"Kaiba-sam- uh, Kaiba-san. What are you doing here?"

"I'd like to ask you the same thing. Mokuba's personal assistant said that he would be here, but instead of him, I find you. You had better not be stalking him. I'll tell you right now that you won't get anywhere with blackmail."

Mokuba? You hadn't met with him since you had started at KaibaCorp. You both had agreed that it would be risky to continue hanging out until you were well settled in, perhaps even properly instituted as analyst.

You cursed your decision to socialize with Hanako here; it was too close to work, and on the opposite side of town from Hachimitsu House. Of course, Seto would be suspicious that you were loitering here. Even so, his suggestion was offensive.

Looking up into Seto's face while sitting put too much strain on your neck and put you in the inferior position, so you stood as well. "I had no clue that Mokuba was here," you began. "I had an errand to do and was just taking a little break. If I had had any idea that you would be here I would have stayed far away." At least that was true enough. "Besides, blackmail? Even if I cared to -which I don't- where would I even get something like that? Mokuba's just thirteen and far too responsible to do anything you could be blackmailed with."

Seto scoffed. "I don't need you to tell me that. I wasn't talking about blackmailing Mokuba." He stepped forward and leaned in, oppressing you with his presence. "Perhaps you were looking for me."

You desperately wanted to take a step back, but your pride kept you from retreating. "That doesn't make sense; I didn't know you would be here either. Besides, I would rather not have anything to do with a condescending, narcissistic man like you."

"I thought it was your business to do anything with all sorts of men." Seto smirked as the color rose to your face.

"I'm not a prostitute," you seethed, voice a little too loud. A couple onlookers tried to pretend that they hadn't heard. It was tempting to start a rumor that Seto was trying to proposition a woman on the streets, but that would clearly only end badly for you. "Not that it's any of your business."

He looked down his nose at you in his familiar sneer. "Like you would even know, right? I thought you didn't remember."

You gritted your teeth. He was right. You could have done anything in the time before your memory started. "I don't, but I thought you didn't believe me."

"I don't; I know your type: opportunistic trash trying to use a pathetic sob story in order to get things handed to you so you don't have to apply yourself to doing any real work."

You already knew how it appeared to him, indeed, how it must appear to anyone. Amnesia wasn't something you could regularly encounter in real life, after all. It still burned, though, to hear it said with such contempt. "It's not like I could prove otherwise. But so what? I have yet to hear how it concerns you."

Seto's sneer vanished and he leaned in even more to hiss, "Mokuba concerns me, and I'll do everything I can to make sure that gutter filth like you can't take advantage of him."

"Which is it? Am I trying to prey upon you or Mokuba? I'd like to point out that I have never approached either of you for anything since you dumped me on the streets. If you're so bent on not having anything to do with me, then leave me alone!" You glared up at him, not willing to back down, despite the cramp in your neck.

"Gladly," Seto said, finally taking a step back. "Just remember that the moment I catch you trying to ingratiate yourself with Mokuba, I'll destroy everything you have." He turned and stalked away.

You were so stiff with anger that you couldn't come up with a retort until he'd already left the park. "Well. I don't have anything. So go ahead and try, then, you pompous giraffe! Eeeeeaaaaaaarcgghhhhhh," you shrieked, causing a child nearby to cry to her mother. The girl's sobs calmed your ire immediately. You apologized to them both and went home as fast as you could.

You tried not to think about the encounter on your way, but just when you thought you'd calmed down, Seto's mocking face would appear in your thoughts, causing you to growl in frustration again. It was a shame that such a handsome face had to come with that sharp tongue and rotten attitude.

It wasn't until later when you were at home snuggling with Tatsu that it occurred to you. Seto Kaiba was your boss, even if he didn't know it. Maybe what you'd said wouldn't bother him the way he'd gotten to you, but you doubted that today's events would do anything to keep him from firing you once your employment became public. All along you had figured that in order to keep your job you'd have to be great at it, but now it looked like you needed to aim for exemplary.

"I can do that, right Tatsu?" you asked, running a finger over his head. "After all, I don't have anything else to do." The thought brought you down a little, so you took a deep breath and shook your head. "No, that's not it. I can do it because I want to. Because I can. Because I want Seto Kaiba to get down and beg me to stay with KaibaCorp. Yeah." There, that mental image was better.

Grabbing some of the notes you had brought home, you fired up your computer and prepared to do some more research. Seto Kaiba had better be ready because you were going all out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, some relationship progress! So romantic. *sigh*
> 
> I'm going to shamelessly plug my new fanfic tumblr: silvermalkin. I live-blog as I write sometimes. There won't be spoilers, but definitely teasers, so check it out if you wanna.


	6. A Tale of Two Bouquets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was all a dream.

It wasn't until someone actually tripped backing away from you during your morning commute that you realized that you had been scowling the entire time. You had hardly slept, and considering what happened the day before-nope, nothing happened the day before. No room for blue-eyed brunets in your thoughts today, definitely not ones that made you start trembling in anger. You had too much work to do and you didn't want to waste time trying to explain to everyone your bad mood. Making the effort to smooth your face back into the politely-interested, neutral expression you wore on the job, you managed to walk into KaibaCorp headquarters without making anyone feel uncomfortable. 

Since you couldn't use your computer during the work-day for analyst work, you spent the last few minutes before you reached your desk e-mailing Yamashita-san on your phone about scheduling a meeting with him. You were walking with your head down, and so didn't notice the crowd of people around your desk until you literally bumped into them. 

"Hey, what is this?" you asked. 

Hanako turned around. "You didn't tell me you had a boyfriend!" she squealed. 

"I don't. Why, what's-" the people in front of you shifted, revealing your desk and the extravagant bouquet of flowers sitting on it. "What the hell?"

"Then maybe it's a secret admirer. Here," she removed a small envelope tucked between the leaves and handed it to you, "read the card."

You opened it, mind whirling. You looked at the card a moment, "Sorry."

"It's okay if you don't want to read it to us, but give us a clue," said Hanako, nearly bouncing in anticipation. 

"No, it literally says, 'Sorry' and that's it. Not even a name." You held it up so everyone could see.

Hanako snatched it out of your hand and examined it front and back. She even took the envelope and peered inside. "Well, that sucks," she grumbled.

"I think you're a little too invested in this, Miura-san." You inspected the bouquet properly. It looked outrageously expensive and gaudy with a cut crystal vase and small crystals nestled in some of the flower centers.

"Well, I think you're not invested enough," Hanako retorted. She tapped a teardrop crystal hanging from a rose. "This is obviously a romantic bouquet, despite the stupid card." 

"I really can't think of anyone who would do this," you said. Mokuba was the only person you knew that might send you flowers, but he knew you didn't want to draw too much attention. Besides, Mokuba had nothing to apologize for so the card didn't make sense. 

Hanako frowned. "If you really," she looked at you pointedly, "really don't know anyone who might send you this romantically, then you might have a stalker." 

"I don't think so," you said. "I don't know where one could have found me."

Just then Irie walked by, stopped, then backed up. "Whoa, what is that?"

"She got a creepy mystery delivery," said Hanako before you could answer.

"Creepy?" Irie appraised the flowers, tipping his glasses slightly as if he were using bifocals. "They look pretty nice to me. Expensive." Then he turned and appraised you the same way, "A boyfriend? You don't look like the type to hunt for a sugar-daddy."

Well, at least someone thought so. "No boyfriend. I don't know who they're from, and all the card has is an apology. Hanako thinks it carries romantic feelings."

"Yeah, I can see that," he said. "Truly an odd situation. Oh, are you sure they're for you? Maybe it was sent as a mistake."

Hanako handed him the card. "It has her name on it." She turned to you, hands on her hips. "You probably haven't been careful going home. Maybe we should walk together from now on."

Irie clapped his hands together. "I could come as well, as long as we're not going too late."

Their helpfulness was really bothersome, but you didn't know how to refuse so you avoided it. "This isn't a good time to talk about it; we need to get to work. It's already this late."

Hanako looked at her watch. "So it is. We'll continue this later," she said, turning back to her desk. Irie shrugged at you and left on a sales call.

You turned to your immediate problem. The bouquet was so big that you had nowhere to work, so you threw it away. It definitely was a shame to get rid of the first bouquet you could remember, but you had no place to keep it. You didn't even know who it came from, anyway. 

The next issue was how to get out of leaving with Hanako and Irie from now on. You didn't want to break the flow of your new motivation by going home early and it would be too inefficient to return to KaibaCorp after parting directions- if they didn't take you all the way back to your apartment themselves. Luckily, there was a lot of sales work to be done today. You would be able to stretch the load by surreptitiously working on analyst things. There would be nothing Hanako could do if you needed to stay late. 

Near the end of the day, you went to go make copies. While you stood waiting for them to go through, your mind drifted back to your encounter the day before. "Hateful bastard," you growled without thinking.

"Oh, shoot, I should have warned you about this copier," said Hanako by your side.

"Hm?" 

She pointed down at the papers that had gone through and the huge ink smears on each one. "You were talking about this, right?"

Finally, a lucky break. "Great. Now I'll be even later," you said, throwing the stack in the shred box. "You'd better go on ahead of me, Miura-san. This is going to take a while."

Hanako looked doubtful but clearly didn't want to stay for as long as it would take you to finish copying. She made some excuse and told you to get Irie to walk you back. Irie had already clocked out for the day, but you weren't about to tell her that. You said goodbye and were finally able to get back to work unhindered, except you really did have to re-copy everything.

No new mystery presents ever appeared and since you somehow managed to always be busy at the end of the day, Hanako and Irie never ended up walking home with you. Which is good because you never actually went home-- at least not for a while. Yamashita wanted you to meet next week to go over your findings and start implementing changes. You really needed to buckle down in order to get everything together. KaibaCorp had good changing rooms with showers, so no one needed to know that you were staying.

After your meeting with Yamashita, you agreed that it was time to move you to a different department. You would be going to IT, which would give you a good idea of the way that information flowed through KaibaCorp. The move was unceremonious- no parties or even goodbyes. You were still working in the building, after all, and wanted to keep to your no-fuss rule.

You kept up the working pace that you had recently established. There were a few things in the meeting that you were unprepared for and it embarrassed you. You resolved not to fall back into complacency. It also helped keep you from forming any sort of personal relationships. After your first meeting with Yamashita, it was clear that you were eventually going to suggest some personnel changes, and getting attached would only make that harder. 

The IT department had less work that a temp could do, so you came up with a few excuses for why you needed to work late every day. They were unnecessary. Your section chief didn't seem to care, so you worked as much as you liked. Or rather, as much as you felt you needed to in order to trap Seto into keeping you. 

The biggest thing you needed to worry about when working late was getting caught by the CEO. Seto had a habit of cruising through the building before he went home, supposedly to keep an eye on things. Any time after eleven o'clock you had to keep an ear out for anyone walking in. Usually, Seto would only glance inside each floor, so all you had to do was shut off your monitor for a moment so he couldn't see your face illuminated by the glow. Then he'd leave and you were clear to keep going. 

The seasons changed, and suddenly the building was a lot colder. Like many companies, KaibaCorp did not care to spend too much on heating and cooling. Employees wore warm sweaters or scarves. You kept a blanket at your desk, not just for sleeping, but for keeping warm while you worked. 

One day, in particular, you took a rare lunch break outside of KaibaCorp. You ran down to the nearest Daiso and bought fingerless gloves and a body-warmer to wear inside. The cold was so intense that you were having a hard time focusing on work. A few of your co-workers snickered at you as you donned the gloves, but you ignored them and sat down, missing your chair.

Machines beeped. The sheets were scratchy, as usual. The tubes were still in your arms. Your heart sunk as you opened your eyes to the ceiling of the medical bay on Hakato's compound, just like the first time you'd ever truly woken. Your escape had just been another dream, or delirium, whichever they called it. Your head was sluggish, as usual, but you did notice one thing different. That flickering light- oh, a television was on. You must have been moved to a new room-- usually, you didn't have anything to look at but closed curtains. Maybe those science guys were trying something new.

You tried to focus on the television. It took you a while- not only was your vision blurry, but you seemed to keep falling asleep. Eventually, you were able to see what was playing. Ah, a lifestyle show was covering Seto Kaiba as one of Domino City's eligible bachelors. That explained that weird dream. You toyed with the IV line, letting your vision slide out of focus again. Your mind was cruel. It never did what you asked of it and this time it had actually made you think you had recovered and escaped.

An attendant came in to check your vitals and give you another dose of medicine. She explained what she was giving you, but you didn't bother trying to listen. It would just be more of the usual. She tried to ask you a few questions, but you couldn't get your voice to come out. Nothing had changed, anyway, nothing would ever change. She left and you went back to dozing. 

Your time was a slurry of sleeping and nurses checking in. After one especially good nap, you actually sat up in bed, although your head still swam. There was a brisk knock on the door, but you didn't look to see who entered. It would just be a medical attendant, or one of the men come to test you again. 

"You have a visitor," the nurse said. Interesting, they usually didn't phrase it that way. Actually curious, you glanced over lazily, then snapped your head around fully so hard the back of your head throbbed. It was Mokuba.

"No!" you yelled, voice hoarse. "No, you were supposed to be safe."

Mokuba, distressed, started to rush over to you, but the nurse stopped him. "Hey, I am safe," he said. "It's okay--"

"No, don't come here, don't be here, you weren't supposed to be here, how could Hakato do this?" Tears were falling now and your head ached blindingly. "It was supposed to be a dream, I can't help you like this, I don't want you to see this." You cradled your neck, pushing gently on the base of your skull to try and quell the throbbing. 

The nurse spoke a few words to Mokuba and ushered him out. Once the door was closed, she helped you to lie back upon the bed and gave you a sedative. The world shifted away from you and you fell into a dream about being surrounded by glowing, yellow eyes.

You woke up with a much clearer head, although you still felt lethargic. Thirsty, you looked to see if there was any water beside your bed and saw Mokuba reading in a chair nearby. "So you really were here," you said softly.

He looked up immediately, tossing his magazine onto the floor. "Yeah, of course. Now, they'll only let me stay as long as you're calm. Okay?"

You nodded, sitting up and reaching for the pitcher of water on the table next to you. "I had a dream that we escaped."

"We did." Mokuba frowned, grabbing the pitcher and pouring some water into a paper cup for you. "Do you think we are still with Hakato?"

"This is the medical bay, right?" You downed the water and gave it back to be refilled.

"You're in the Domino City hospital right now. They said you collapsed with a severe cold, probably from overwork."

Relief washed over you. "Oh. That's good."

"Good? You know we have a program to track how long your badge is in the building, right? I looked into your time. Just how many hours did you plan to work? All of them?" He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'd like to scold you about taking care of yourself, but I don't want them to kick me out again."

You toyed with the edge of the paper cup, trying not to grin. "I'm sorry, Mokuba," you said.

"You don't look sorry."

"I'm just relieved. I really thought I was still at the complex."

Mokuba grimaced. He leaned forward as if to stroke your hair, but you recoiled a little. "I haven't showered in a while," you muttered.

"That doesn't matter," he said, pulling a small comb out of his bag. "Let me comb through your hair, you'll feel better after I'm done."

"It matters to me," you mumbled, but accepted his ministrations meekly. It did feel wonderful; Mokuba was very gentle.

Suddenly Mokuba spoke again, "I know it was from the fever, but you seemed really upset that I came earlier. Not just that Hakato had me again-- that I saw you sick. What-uh, what was that about?" The comb stilled for a moment as he waited for your answer.

"Hm," you said, thinking it over. "You know, my first memory is waking up in Hakato's medical bay. I was really sick for a long time, first going in and out of a coma, then trying to get my body to work properly. Part of it was atrophy, sure, but somehow it was like my mind had been disconnected and I had to figure out how to rewire everything. It wasn't a very pleasant time for me and I guess I didn't want you to see me like that."

"Because I'm not reliable?"

You turned around to face Mokuba again, catching his hands. "No, because you are reliable. I was sure that you would pass up an opportunity for Seto to rescue you because you'd be too concerned about me."

"Of course. I couldn't leave you behind."

"No, Mokuba. You're more important; you have to consider yourself first. I think this is the one thing your brother and I would agree on."

"Hm," he said noncommittally, before changing the subject. "You've never really talked about your amnesia before. You really don't remember anything before Hakato's place?" He sat down in the chair again.

"You believe me, huh?"

"No reason not to. You're clearly not advertising it, so what's the point of lying if no one knows?"

"Well, mostly it's just embarrassing. I don't need people making a fuss about it. But no, I don't remember anything before waking up that first time."

"So your range of experience is rather small, huh?"

"Just a couple years. I'm practically a toddler," you chuckled. "Ah, but I do know things. How the world works, who the emperor is, stuff like that. As long as it's not knowledge specifically pertaining to me, I have it."

"Knowledge about you? What does that mean?"

You tapped a finger thoughtfully. "Well, obvious stuff like my real name or who my family is, but also things like what my favorite foods are, or whether or not I've ever been to an amusement park."

"That's kind of sad."

"A little. But it also means that I get to have completely unbiased first experiences. It's kind of fun, trying all sorts of different things to figure out what I like." 

Mokuba didn't look like he really believed that. "Didn't Hakato's goons ever tell you anything?"

You shook your head. "Nope. I'm not even sure they knew who I really was; they were hired to look after me for someone else. That person kept sending different scientists to test me on various things. I failed most of the time, but sometimes I'd get something right. When that happened I'd fall back into a coma and have to start the recovery process all over again. Eventually, they gave up, I suppose, because the science guys stopped coming and then the money for my care stopped, too. That's why, when I was healthy enough, they put me to work."

Now he looked really distressed. "That sounds awful," he said, his voice a little watery. "It's probably really hard to be back in the hospital like this." He moved over to sit on the edge of the bed and pulled you into a hug.

You melted. Mokuba's arms held you firmly as if he was trying to heal everything. "Thanks, Mokuba. But it's enough to know that I've moved forward. I'm in a proper hospital this time, with a completely normal cold."

Mokuba pulled away and looked at you sternly. "And is working to death normal?"

You averted your eyes and fiddled with your blanket, but were saved from answering by the arrival of the nurse. Now that you were feeling a bit better, it was easy to see that she wore the hospital uniform and badge. She took your vitals and gave you another dose of medicine. She warned Mokuba about giving you time to rest and left again.

Not wanting to continue the previous topic, you cast your gaze around for something new to talk about. A small vase of flowers sat on the table nearby. "Those are beautiful," you said. "Can you hand them here so I can look closer?" 

Mokuba handed them over, blushing a bit. "I hope they're appropriate for the occasion; you're supposed to give flowers to sick people, right?"

"They're from you?" you asked, sniffing bud. "They're very nice. Much more appropriate than the last bouquet I received." 

Mokuba twitched and averted his eyes, trying too hard to look not guilty.

"Mokuba," you asked, narrowing your eyes, "did you send those other flowers to me?" 

He began to sweat. "Just uh, just something to reward you for the good work you've been doing." He chuckled nervously.

"The card said 'Sorry.'" You weren't going to let him get away with an excuse like that. "You had better come clean now."

Mokuba buckled. "It was to make up for what Seto said to you that time in the park."

"How do you know about that? Wait, Seto was looking for you-- were you there?"

"Sorry," Mokuba groaned, lowering his head. "I was happy that it looked like you were getting along with a friend so I was observing. I didn't know that Seto would track me down closely enough to run into you."

So you did have a stalker, after all. "Mokuba, you can't do that sort of thing."

"I know. I know, I'm sorry. I was just worried. I haven't done it again if you were concerned about that."

You gave the vase you were holding to him so he could put it back. "And what was with your choice of flowers? No offense, but that thing was a monstrosity."

Mokuba's cheeks flushed. "It was my first bouquet, alright? I didn't know what to get."

"Those are the kind of flowers you send to the girl you like, Mokuba. Don't waste them on someone like me."

"Don't say 'someone like me,'" he mumbled, face turning even redder. "You know, I-"

You yawned loudly. "Oh, excuse me for interrupting, Mokuba. I'm sorry, but I think I've reached my limit for today."

Mokuba stood up quickly, face still red. "Of course, I'm sorry! Right, well," he bent to pick up his briefcase, "the doctor said it will still be a few days for you to recover, so I'll come again another time."

"There's no need to go out of your way."

Mokuba paused beside the door. "No, we still need to talk about your work ethic. Don't think I've forgotten about why you're here." He gave you a stern glare.

You tried not to chuckle. "Yes, boss."

"Good. See you tomorrow," he said and left.

You sank back into your pillow, consciousness slipping away again. It was such a relief to know that you hadn't regressed back to that time when you were powerless. This was just a minor setback, in no time you would be back to work. You gazed at Mokuba's flowers as you drifted to sleep and dreamt that you were hugged by their petals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Backstory time! It's not a lot of story, but it's all you know :'(


	7. Employees and Bosses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy American Thanksgiving!

The next day you were so much improved that Mokuba didn't feel any hesitation in giving you a lecture about not putting work before your health and the importance of depending upon your coworkers. It was a very good lecture, elegant and with impact. He seemed comfortable giving it and which made you wonder how often he'd had to say it before. You took the lecture meekly but avoided making concrete promises about how much you would work from now on. Of course, you would be careful, but you didn't need any limiters holding you back. You still had a goal, after all.

After your discharge, you went right back to work. No one made a big fuss; it was not the first time that someone had fallen ill from overwork at KaibaCorp. Apparently, Hanako was mad at you for switching departments without telling her, because the only person who made an effort to come to see how you were doing was Manabu Irie. He invited you to go to a nearby place for lunch, and you agreed. The only thing that you and Mokuba had come to terms on was that you would take an hour lunch break every day and that you would eat properly. He had been appalled to hear that you usually skipped meals or ate junk food while you worked. 

You ended up eating lunch with Irie most days that he was actually at the office. It wasn't breaking your ban on forming a close relationship with anyone at work, you reasoned because the friendship was already made. Hanako eventually forgave your offense and she sometimes joined you, too, although not often because she had to budget tightly.

"Do you not cook?" asked Irie once after Hanako had declined in order to eat her packed lunch. "I never see you with a bento."

You finished chewing. "Hm, I wouldn't say that I don't, but it's more like I'm too busy." 

"Hm." Irie tapped his rice bowl lightly with his chopsticks. "I could make you one, you know. My food's not too bad, though I say it myself."

You scrutinized him. He really did look like the type to secretly take cooking classes, or have grown up cooking for his family. "You wouldn't need to do that. We're already having these nice lunch dates, after all."

"Lunch da..." he stopped himself. "Well, but that's not all the time. What do you do when I'm out on sales calls all day?"

"I just go alone," you said, then laughed at his bemused face. "It's fun to people-watch while I eat. Like that waitress," you nodded your head at the woman taking an order two tables over, "she has a crush on the chef. She tries really hard to get customers to praise his food so he'll come out to talk to them and she can see his smile. I'm rooting for her."

"But, you are taking long lunches for your health, though, right? Since you were sick recently, isn't it better to eat something healthier? This food is delicious, but home cooking is better for you."

You swirled your drink. "That's true, but I think the goal is just to get away from the office and relax. If I had a bento, I'd be tempted to just eat at my desk and keep working."

Irie pulled a face. "Are you really that much of a workaholic?"

"I don't know about that; it's more like I have a dream I want to achieve. Or something." It was embarrassing to say that out loud. Having a dream is a bit of a childish phrase.

"A dream sounds nice. Can I ask what it is?"

"No," you said, too quickly. Irie looked a little hurt. "Sorry, it's just a little personal," you said. It's not like you could say that you wanted to shove your successes down the CEO's throat. You weren't even supposed to know the Kaibas personally. 

Over Irie's shoulder, you saw a hateful figure through the front windows of the restaurant. Your hackles went up. Why was it that Seto Kaiba always showed up when you least wanted him? Thankfully, he was too busy dictating to a harried employee as he walked to glance inside the shop. 

Irie noticed your tension and turned around, but by that time, Seto had already passed. "Is something the matter?"

"No, uh, someone walking by just tripped," if only, "but it looks like they're fine." A pity. You really hoped that soon you wouldn't have to be on edge all the time. You felt like a child sneaking snacks out of the fridge late at night, always worried that Dad was going to show up and cut you off.

Irie set his chopsticks down. "Well, if there's no bento," he said, "maybe I should introduce you to some of the healthier restaurant options. How about tonight?"

Still distracted by the seething anger that had flared up when you glimpsed Seto, you barely heard what Irie was proposing. "Oh, tonight? Sorry, I can't. I have to talk to the kid who helps me watch Tatsu. And don't worry about my health, it's not like I caught a cold from eating this," you gestured at your plate, "too often."

"Well, alright," Irie sipped his tea churlishly.

"Sorry, Irie-kun, I know you're worried about me."

"No. It's fine," he balled up the straw wrapper and flicked it across the restaurant. "Anyway, we'd better get back."

Work was going really well for you. Yamashita had started instituting some of your suggestions, and you had changed departments a few times with few problems. You managed to keep an eye on your health while working almost as much as ever. However, one cannot work in any environment without eventually working with a person that repels one on a visceral level. 

Your issues with Ichika Midorikawa began almost as soon as you entered the marketing department. She clearly didn't care about giving you the proper training as she had been assigned, starting with a half-assed tour of your new floor. 

"And that section over there," she waved vaguely towards a corner, "is where we have in-house photo shoots for small promotions. Sometimes President Kaiba-sama or Vice-President Mokuba-sama will pop in for those, so make sure that you're professional at all times."

"God, my feet," she said, slipping her heels off and picking them up in one hand. "That's better. Come on." She started back through the office to your desk.

As nonchalantly as possible you said, "We get President Kaiba-san and Vice-president Mokuba-san in here pretty frequently then?"

Ichika rounded on you. "Unlike you, they have very important jobs and can't spare time to hang around. I dearly hope that unlike a lot of new hires, you didn't start working here with an idea of getting in good with the higher-ups." She sneered, looking you over. "They've no need for someone of your... quality. This isn't a job where you can sleep your way to the top, miss. I won't let you get away with shirking work just because your fantasy of being swept off your feet by Kaiba-sama doesn't turn out."

You gritted your teeth. Why was that everyone's first thought? Curse Japan's love of hierarchy; as a temp, you were in a lower position than Ichika and so could not respond the way you wanted. No one in these departments could fire you, but if you were too much of a problem they would try and that would raise too many questions. Most of your superiors in the other departments didn't abuse their position, but you could tell that you were going to have a problem with Ichika.

You were right. Ichika made you run errands and constantly made derisive remarks about your supposed gold-digging attitude. Most of this you could ignore, but one thing you couldn't forgive was her absolute refusal to do any job she found distasteful. She pushed a lot of it off onto you and others, some of it she completed it without a mind to quality, but some of it just sat undone. 

In particular, Department Head Ito had assigned everyone a simple assignment: come up with a concept for advertising a new controller to go with the latest gaming system. Everyone was supposed to submit a two-page proposal so that the actual committee in charge of that project could have a wealth of ideas. It was a good opportunity; anyone with a decent idea would get the attention of the department head and would have more opportunities to head marketing campaigns in the future. Ichika didn't do it. 

Instead, as she collected the proposals from your section, she glanced through each one. "I forgot to mark my name on mine," she said stiffly before changing the marks on one of the reports. Stealing someone else's work was pretty low, but you didn't say anything. At this point, it would just be your word against hers.

A couple of days later Ito called attention for a brief announcement. "Midorikawa-chan had the winning idea for the new 3BE game controller. Here, Midorikawa-chan, your prize." She pranced up to the front to receive a small basket filled with chocolates. Then he called your name. "I'd like to see you in my office," he said dourly.

You stood and followed him briskly, tuning out whatever snide remark Ichika was telling. Once inside his office, you closed the door and stood in front of his desk. Ito sighed and scratched one of his hairy ears. "Now, I know you're just a temp here," he began, "so I haven't been too hard on you. But it's gotten to the point now where I can't ignore your standard of work any longer. It would have a detrimental effect on your future."

You started to figure out what he was talking about, but he continued. "I asked everyone to submit proposals for the 3BE controller because I want to give everyone chances to be heard. It's an important opportunity for everyone to gain experience and confidence, even the temps. I'm extremely disappointed to find that you did not submit one."

So it had been your proposal that Ichika stole. You wondered if it was because she recognized the potential or if she just had it out for you. Probably both, and probably not just for this one assignment. You would have to be careful with how you handled this. Ito was waiting for you to respond, but he wouldn't like any excuses or redistributing the blame. "I did write a proposal, sir. If you didn't receive it then perhaps I was lax in making sure that I turned it in properly. I am sorry," you said, lowering your head in apology. 

Ito grunted. "It probably wasn't up to the standards of Midorikawa's anyway, but that shouldn't deter you from giving your all. Your regular work as well is riddled with mistakes, inconsistencies, and incompletions. I'll ask you to put in a little more effort next time so we can continue to employ you." 

You bowed again. "Yes, sir, thank you." 

When you went back to your desk you noticed Ichika leering at you. You smiled back at her, letting the knowledge that you weren't just a hapless temp and that you could recommend her termination drip off your teeth like venom. She immediately dropped her eyes and turned back to her phone. You allowed yourself one quiet, maniacal chuckle before attacking your work with extra vigor.

From then on you took extra care to turn in your work without letting her see it, even going so far as toadying up to one of the other seniors so that Ichika couldn't abuse you with extra work. Eventually, you moved on from marketing and didn't need to deal with her anymore.

Then it was time to meet with Yamashita to discuss the next course of action; you had gone through almost all of the departments at the main office now and wanted to know if you would go to the branch offices or move into your proper role as the management analyst. 

Yamashita was away from his desk at the moment so you waited in his office. To pass the time, you opened a folder you'd brought with you from the Social Responsibility department you were currently in. All of KaibaCorp's donations to charity, community outreach, and the like were handled there and it was fascinating. 

The folder you had selected contained a project backed personally by Seto Kaiba, which made you immensely curious. It turned out to be plans for a mentor program tied with the children's adoption system. All children put into affiliated foster-care or orphanages would be assigned a volunteer who would act as a big brother or sister figure. The volunteers would check in regularly to talk, give advice, and help ensure the welfare of their charges. These big brothers and sisters would continue to check in with their mentee even after any potential adoptions to help ease the transition and avoid any detrimental living situations that might be hidden during agency checks. 

It was a great concept. Volunteering would be a great alternative for those people who would love to help out these unfortunate children but are unable to foster or adopt themselves. Also, a volunteer would not be swayed by any benefits gained by the foster or adopted parents and instead help guarantee the welfare of the child. 

Yamashita entered as you were still perusing the folder. "Oh, good you're already here. I-"

"Yamashita-san," you interrupted, still reading, "have you seen the plans for this mentor program for foster children and orphans? This is amazing!" You started flipping through the pages, looking for something in particular.

"No, I haven't, but-- "

"I mean, there are still a lot of issues to be dealt with, but can you imagine what would happen if you could get this to be standard throughout Japan? I want to volunteer as a big sister! What do you think I can do," you said, finally looking up at him, "to help," and Seto, who stood next to him, "get this going." Your ecstatic expression slid off your face and you just managed to force it into a neutral one before you completely turned to stone.

Seto's expression was unreadable, but Yamashita looked exasperated. "Anyway, I thought it was finally time for you to properly enter the management analyst role, so I wanted to introduce you," said Yamashita. "This is Seto Kaiba, CEO and President of KaibaCorp. President, this is the woman I was telling you about."

You stood mechanically and bowed deeply. "It's nice to meet you, President Kaiba-san," you said weakly. He didn't respond. The cold flames of fury emanating of him made you break out in a sweat. 

Yamashita didn't appear to notice anything unusual about Seto's behavior. "Her background and method are a little unorthodox, but we've started implementing some changes and have already seen results. I didn't think she'd be able to keep up with working effectively two jobs, but she's done well." 

He turned to you. "Although, you did collapse once, right?"

You tried to act as though you weren't bursting into flames. "It was merely a cold that I didn't catch in time. I've been doing a better job taking care of myself since."

Yamashita nodded approvingly. "From now on, though, I would like you to focus on management analysis. You've seen most of the major departments and it's clear from your reports that you already have a thorough understanding of the KaibaCorp culture. We'll set you up-"

Seto interrupted, "Is this a joke?"

"No," said Yamashita. "I don't- is something wrong?"

"How long," Seto said tersely, "has she been working here?" 

"About seven or eight months," said Yamashita, starting to look worried.

You could see Seto's calculations ticking behind his eyes. "This is Mokuba's interference, then."

"President Kaiba-san, I'm afraid I don't follow. Vice-president Mokuba-san hasn't been involved in her case excepting when I requested approval to finalize her hire. In fact, he's been so busy managing his new department that I have been acting as her supervisor even though normally she would report to him." Yamashita went to his desk and pulled out a file. "If you're having doubts about her ability, here is her employee file and her numbers." He handed the file to Seto. "We've already seen a change in employee retention rates."

For a second you thought that he might throw your file in the trash. Then he grudgingly lowered his glare to the page and you relaxed a fraction. Your back was starting to cramp from how stiffly you were standing. You shifted your weight slightly and Seto's eyes snapped back to you.

"Yamashita and I have business to attend to," said Seto. "You are dismissed, but I will see you in my office at the end of the day."

"Yes, President," you said, bowing again and fleeing the room. In the hallway, you almost ran back towards your desk, but then thought it would be best to go and try to explain, so you turned around. No, you couldn't do it, he had dismissed you, so you almost turned around again. You paused, oscillating back and forth, before heading back to surreptitiously put an ear against the door. It didn't sound like they were discussing you. You heard a creak from inside Yamashita's office and sprinted down the hallway and around a corner in case Seto was leaving. The door stayed closed. 

You expected to relax a little, but instead, your breaths were coming faster than ever. Your nerves jangled down your arms and the world started to feel a little wonky. Hyperventilating. You were hyperventilating and you would pass out if you didn't stop. Sinking down the wall to the floor, you pursed your lips and forced yourself to breathe steadily, using your abdomen to push the air in and out. Eventually, you steadied, but you still felt awful. 

Obviously, you couldn't work at KaibaCorp without Seto's knowledge forever, but you had thought that maybe you would get to control and prepare for the moment he found out. You needed more time to become an irreplaceable asset. All the effort you and Mokuba put in to make sure you never ran into the CEO was for naught. It wasn't Yamashita's fault; he was probably trying to help you. It wasn't like you could've said, "and please don't tell the President about me." 

You couldn't sit on the floor all day, so you tried to stand. The walls lurched a little and you ended up on hands and knees, resting your forehead on the floor and breathing slowly. You barely registered footsteps before someone turned the corner and saw you. 

It was Irie. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, rushing over and kneeling next to you. 

"I was just feeling sick for a moment," you said, sitting back on your heels. "I'll be fine."

Looking worried, he pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed some sweat from your cheek. "What are you doing up here? Aren't you in SR now?"

"Um, I had to run an errand. How about you, Irie-kun?"

He looked a little embarrassed. "The vending machine up here is the only one with Calpis. I may have a mild addiction." You chuckled weakly, but instead of looking reassured, Irie seemed pained. "Are you sure you shouldn't go home?" He pressed the back of his hand against your forehead. "No fever."

"I'm already feeling much better. Maybe I'm a little dehydrated; I'll go with you to the vending machine." You went to stand, but your legs had started to fall asleep so you stumbled. Irie rose to catch you. "Thanks," you said, looking up at him.

Just then, Seto Kaiba appeared at the end of your hallway. You and Irie instantly let go of each other, but Seto did not seem fooled. "Remember," he said looking at you disdainfully, "my office at the end of the day. And don't you dare be late." He addressed you both as he turned to leave, "Back to work, I don't pay you to stand around and flirt."

After Seto had left, Irie turned to you, eyes wide. "What did you do to make President Kaiba angry?"

"I don't know, probably just my very existence." You shrugged. "Come on, let's get something to toast what may be my last day with KaibaCorp." 

You really did feel much better after you'd had a chance to sit and drink something, but it was still hard to concentrate for the rest of the day. You sent an e-mail to Mokuba telling him what happened, but he didn't respond. You weren't surprised; his school trip was ending today. You would need to handle this on your own, anyway. You wanted to, but also you were sure that Seto would never accept you if you were leaning on his little brother for help. 

You started formulating a plan. You were mostly sure that you weren't going to have a chance to make your case, but you needed to be ready anyway. It was encouraging that he hadn't blown up or fired you on the spot, although that may have had more to do with the presence of Yamashita than any benevolence. 

The end of the day came and you had been waiting outside Seto's office for fifteen minutes already. In your nervousness, you wanted to come earlier, but waiting when you could be working would not help your argument that you deserved to keep your job. Finally, his secretary stood, motioning for you to follow. He clasped you on the shoulder briefly before opening the door to introduce you and let you in.

The setting sun shining through Seto's wall of windows made your eyes water a bit as you stepped inside. He was working at his computer which you mostly figured out by sound because he was too backlit to see properly until you stopped a few feet from his desk. You stood quietly at attention, waiting for him to address you. You kept your gaze neutrally at the edge of his desk closest to you but used every inch of your periphery to keep track of his movements. If he was about to attack you, even verbally, you wanted to be prepared. 

Seto kept you waiting for a long time, but he did eventually stop typing and turned to appraise you, lacing his fingers. He stared for a while and you waited patiently. Now was the time to show Seto that you were prepared to put KaibaCorp above your pride, accept his authority, and most of all that you were not afraid, professionally. You were afraid personally --Seto Kaiba is a scary man-- but you thought it over and you had a decent argument for why you shouldn't be fired. And if that didn't work, then you had garnered enough work experience here to improve your resume. You wouldn't get another opportunity like this again but you wouldn't be back to square one, either.

Finally, Seto lowered his hands to the desk. "Explain," he said simply.

You raised your glance to the knot of his necktie and started with a brief explanation about why you had wanted to improve your situation then detailed that you chose to apply for KaibaCorp because it was a prestigious institution with a unique history and that you admired the culture that he had built. Then, carefully avoiding the fact that you had hidden your employment from him, you broadly discussed the work you had done and the results from it. After you finished, you lapsed back into silence. 

Throughout your explanation Seto had listened carefully, feelings hidden. Now, he pulled over a piece of paper and signed the bottom before handing it to you. "Fine, raise approved," he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're going to get fired.
> 
> Phew, it feels good to finally get here. Thanks for pushing me to keep going, everyone. How many chapters has it been? I'm projecting that we're about 1/4-1/3 of the way through the story now, depending on how much "filler" I put in. Look forward to it!


	8. Can't Win for Losing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You kept your job, but god, at what cost?

You stared at the paper in your hand. It was indeed a raise approval form, moreover, it was for an additional 300,000 yen annually. "President Kaiba-san, I don't understand," you said dumbly.

Seto didn't look away from his computer screen as he answered. "You take that paper down to HR and they increase your salary."

"No, well, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but, um, why are you giving me a raise? I thought you were-"

"Going to fire you?" Seto looked at you, but his fingers kept typing on the keyboard. "Do you want that?" 

"No," you said quickly. "I just thought you hated me, so."

He turned back to his work. "I absolutely do."

"Then why?"

Seto sighed and stopped typing again. "Regardless of what did or did not happen before 32 weeks ago, since you have been employed here your work has been adequate. The raise reflects the effort you have put in so far, although your results would have been better if you hadn't wasted time on your little undercover project," he growled. 

"Then, uh, thank you," you said, still a little flabbergasted.

"But don't mistake me; I do not trust you any more now than I ever have. From now on you will be reporting directly to me so that I can keep a better eye on you. And also this," he said, swiveling his monitor around so you could see your personal information pulled up onscreen. "Now I have a complete record of your synthetic identity fraud." He allowed himself a smirk. "If you even think about betraying us I'll report you and have you prosecuted as far as I can manage, which is pretty damn far."

The small, slightly warm feelings that had started to grow towards Seto were stamped out in an instant. "You're blackmailing me," you whispered. 

"Am I? I'm not asking for anything you weren't going to give me anyway. I prefer to think of it as insurance. Stick to doing your job and nothing more and you won't have anything to worry about. And don't worry about being hacked, my servers are very secure." What he meant was that there was no point in you trying to break in to delete the evidence.

Too many emotions were bombarding you for you to think properly, so you stood stoically until you could grasp one. Seto only waited a moment for you to respond before he turned back to his computer. The office was silent except for the clack of Seto's keyboard and the slight crumpling of the approval form between your fingers. "I'll quit," you said at last.

"No, please," Seto said monotonously, completely unbothered. "Whatever will I do?" 

Frustrated, you turned to leave without even the courtesy of bowing and began the long trek to the door. You were about halfway when the door burst open and Mokuba entered, panting slightly. He looked back and forth between you and Seto, but you just shook your head and walked by him.

"Seto," he began.

"Relax, Mokuba," said Seto. "I didn't fire your pet."

You didn't hear any more because the door had closed. You stood for a moment, trembling, then rushed back towards the elevator, trying desperately to run away from the situation. 

You had thought that keeping your job even after Seto found you out would feel like a triumph, but instead, you lost all of your power. You couldn't even quit now because that would just be confirming that his threat worked. Of course, Seto Kaiba would never have viewed you as being invaluable to KaibaCorp no matter how good you were. You felt foolish. 

Once you were at home, you ranted to Tatsu, asking his opinion on what you should do. It seemed that no matter if you quit or not, as long as you weren't trying to take advantage or commit any corporate espionage, Seto wouldn't do anything with the evidence he had on you. It just meant that your presence took up so little of his notice that he couldn't be bothered. It sucked; you had spent so long trying to sway him that he already took up a huge portion of your thoughts. 

You did carefully consider whether quitting was the right thing to do, despite the feeling of defeat. Seto had left it completely up to you, so it was down to what you wanted to do. You made yourself a snack to help you think, and when you sat down again the papers you had brought home caught your eye: the raise approval form and the SR folder. KaibaCorp was a pretty good place. Ignoring the demon boss for a moment, you liked what the company was doing, you liked your role there, and yes, you liked the money. You tried to think of some other job or company that would be just as fulfilling but couldn't come up with one. 

Were you really going to let Seto Kaiba's salty ass dictate where you worked? No, you weren't. Your mission didn't have to be over yet; as long as you did a good job you still had the opportunity to make Seto admit that you were good for KaibaCorp. Inspired, you did an image search and printed out a large picture of Seto, drew devil horns, a tail, giant eyebrows, and a villain's handlebar mustache. It made you laugh, so you tacked it to the wall where you could easily see it whenever you needed cheering up after work.

Thankfully, the next day you didn't have to see Seto at all. You spent your time getting set up as management analyst. You were able to turn in your KaibaCorp uniform and start wearing your own clothes. It was a nice change, even if society dictated that you still wear simple suits that don't stand out. You even got your own, albeit small, office. Right now there were so many workmen and IT guys crammed in there making sure everything was set up that you took a trip down to the management secretaries' desks. You introduced yourselves and distributed small gifts that you had bought for everyone. You were going to be depending on these men and women a lot in the future and wanted to make sure you gave a good impression. After you had made your visit, you went to HR to turn in your raise approval. Those errands took enough time that you were able to fit inside your office when you got back, so you started the process of scheduling a managers' meeting.

Your relationships with the heads of KaibaCorp's departments were important. They were the ones who would give you the information you needed and implement any suggestions you came up with. You weren't above them so you couldn't order them to actually do what you suggested; that would require interference from Yamashita, Mokuba, or Seto himself. You hoped it would never come to that and that you could earn the managers' trust yourself. 

Once every available department head had gathered in a conference room, Yamashita introduced you. "This is our new management analyst," he said, then paused waiting for the surprised chatter to quiet. "You may recognize her as a temp that used to work in your departments. This was our plan to help her become acquainted with the company. Please give her your full attention."

You bowed to the room. "Everyone, you may be shocked and outraged at this news, and rightfully so. It is never pleasant to be deceived, and for this, I ask your forgiveness. However, the time I spent in your departments was necessary for me to fully understand how you and your employees work every day. Thanks to your expert guidance, I was easily able to learn about KaibaCorp and truly understand the best way to help you and your employees do your absolute best. Thank you for those valuable experiences." You bowed again, deeply. 

"I am not here to tell you how to do your jobs. Each of you is fully capable of managing his own people. My role here is to look at each situation from the outside and to assist you by offering solutions you may have been too busy to consider fully. We have the same goal; help each employee do their absolute best so that KaibaCorp can continue to be the outstanding company it already is. I look forward to working with you and accepting your guidance. Please look after me," you finished. 

Department Head Ito stood up. "I think I'm not the only one to be a little hesitant," he said, glancing around the room to a few nods. "You are young. Are you qualified? After all, some of your work was not the best, even in a small role." There were fewer nods and a few confused faces. After all, most departments didn't have someone like Ichika Midorikawa to sabotage your work. 

Yamashita cleared his throat and answered for you. "During this time, not only has she been completing her work in each of your departments, but she was also taking on her analyst duties. Perhaps any deficiencies can be explained by the fact that she was doing two jobs, although for my part I found her work to be done well."

There were a few murmurs of agreement, so Ito sat down reluctantly. Then Department Head Masaki from IT spoke, "Ah, I had wondered if I was too hard on you since you kept long hours and worked yourself to the point of collapse."

Your cheeks burned, "It wasn't your fault. I wasn't being careful and thought that my youth would sustain me. I would be grateful if you could forget about that incident." A few of the managers chuckled. "For now, I would like to hear about the biggest issues your departments face at the moment." 

Once the meeting was over, you felt a bit of relief. You had expected some resistance, but overall it seemed like the managers were at least willing to give you a chance. You were grateful for the soft skills and familiarity you had built up during your time as a temp, although you knew that it was hard for some of the men to accept that you were now at the same level of the corporate structure.

Then it was time for your first meeting with Seto. It did not go as well. First, he had not set up a time with you, instead, his secretary called you and told you when he would be available- only ten minutes before. You didn't have enough time to prepare properly, so you just gathered up what you had as far as reports and hustled up to the top floor. The secretary, Kenta Katakura, let you in, apologizing for the late notice. As soon as you entered Seto spoke.

"Go make me a cup of coffee," he said, still reading a report.

"Sorry, President Kaiba-san, but I'm here for our meeting. If you'll give me a moment to fetch your secretary-"

"I know to whom I'm speaking, Fraud." Seto glanced up sharply. "Coffee." He returned to his reading with complete confidence that he would be obeyed. 

It was perfectly within his authority to order you to do what he asked. Bristling, you turned around and stalked out, heading for the small kitchen nearby. The secretary offered to brew it for you, but you declined. It was obvious that Seto wanted to subjugate you and he'd probably know if Katakura-san did it. You brewed a cup in a hurry, muttering all the while. 

When you reentered Seto's office, you found that Mokuba had arrived. He nodded at you in greeting. When you set the cup on Seto's desk, Mokuba frowned but didn't say anything. Seto finally set aside his papers to take a sip. You watched carefully. If he disliked it you would probably have to go remake it. 

"Hm," he said, swirling the cup gently. "It's not right. Later, tell Katakura what kind of coffee you used before and he'll buy it for next time. Now, what reports do you have for me?" At least you didn't go have to brew another one right now. You hastened to give him the papers you had brought.

Seto picked one up. "Sloppy," he said, flippantly tossing it to the side. He glanced at another one before sending it flying, too. "Trash. Irrelevant." He continued flinging your reports without a mind to the papers fluttering everywhere. "Complete shit. Do you work at all during the day, or do you just sit on your keyboard? Are you telling me that I paid you money for this?"

"Hey, President," said Mokuba, but you quelled him with a look and a shake of your head. As infuriating as it was, you hadn't been prepared for this meeting. The reports were, in fact, awful. The fact that you were called on short notice didn't matter, professionally you should always be ready to report on your current work. At least Seto thought so, and so you should learn to do. 

"I'm sorry, President." You looked him square in the eye to show him that you weren't shaken from your professionalism. "I shall work harder on the clarity of my reports. Thank you for your guidance."

The actual discussion of your work went just as well. He grilled you endlessly and criticized every response. He even threw in some personal jabs, but you just tightened your jaw and sat through it. Mokuba attempted to smooth things along, but there wasn't much he could do. Seto meant to humiliate you and humiliate you he did. 

Later, Mokuba apologized. "I thought that he would go easier on you if I was there, but it looks like I didn't help."

"I'm sure you helped. It was horrendous, but somehow I can still imagine him being much worse without an audience."

"I can't believe he's making you make him coffee. Usually, someone of your position wouldn't have to do that. Also, he can be so picky about stuff like that; he's just setting you up for failure."

"You said it. But it's alright, I'm used to it from my old part-time work." 

The next meetings with the CEO were also short notice. Apparently, Seto was only squeezing in your meetings whenever he happened to have a little time. You quickly learned to have a polished current report on the ready so that you wouldn't repeat the mistake. 

The meetings went only marginally better than the first one. Seto required you to bring him coffee every time, although once you started using Kurotsuki coffee he ceased to remark upon the quality. Then, when the meetings actually began he barely appeared to listen, clearly working on something else while you updated him on your current projects. But listen he did, evidenced by his scathing remarks. You suffered quietly for the most part, but sometimes your professional mask slipped and your feelings were laid bare. Thankfully your impoliteness only seemed to amuse Seto. 

You were not thankful for the office rumor mill. You hadn't really known what to expect, but you had hoped it would be a quiet transition since you now didn't work directly with much of the workforce. In order to help things die down a little, you tried to do as much correspondence over e-mail and phone as possible so you could stay out of sight. It wasn't to be. The timeline of how you were hired got jumbled, with most people thinking that a temp got promoted. The opinions were split between the people who thought that this meant there was hope for everyone to move up, and the people who felt passed-over. 

"Wait," said Irie the next time you had lunch, "so you were spying on us the whole time?"

You blanched. "No. Not spying. My main objective was to work as a proper entry-level employee so I could see things from your point of view as well as a manager's."

"I'm not entry-level."

"I know that I meant 'you' as in everyone below a manager."

Irie tapped his chopsticks and didn't look directly at you. "I'm just saying, as a supervisor, my salary's pretty good. I guess," he glanced at you ruefully, "not as good as yours."

Ugh. "I guess I wouldn't know," you said and tried to think of something to change the subject. You did know, roughly. You had looked over the average salaries within KaibaCorp, after all. You took a long drink, twisting your brain to wring out a less-sensitive topic.

"Irie-kun, you don't have a girlfriend, right?" No, that was worse! Irie blushed and that made you blush, too. "I just- wouldn't she be upset if she knew we were having lunch like this?"

"No. Uh, I mean, no, I don't have one," he sputtered, then mumbled something. 

"Sorry, I didn't hear you."

Irie got even redder. "It was nothing. Just, just uh, I'd like to have one, is all."

"Is that so? I'm not interested in a boyfriend myself," you said. Irie looked like you had smacked him. "Don't be so surprised. I can see the advantages of a relationship, but really I'm too busy. I also don't know what I would even have to offer a boyfriend."

Irie chewed on his lip and stayed silent. You must have really shocked him, usually, he would drop some effortless compliments and cheesy lines. Maybe you'd finally crossed the line of self-deprecation and made it awkward. 

The atmosphere stayed strained until you went separate ways in KaibaCorp. Irie hadn't even given you an idea of when he would next be free to meet up. You felt a little down as you walked through the lobby. You didn't have a lot of friends, by your own efforts, so you didn't want to alienate any more of them. 

Just as you were about to reach the elevator someone shouted your name. You turned to see Ichika marching towards you, mascara running down her cheeks. "How dare you get me fired?" she shrieked. 

You had an idea what this was about. Some of the managers were worried about how their employees were using their time, so you suggested that they look into everyone's computer usage and address the problem of doing personal activities on company time and equipment. Ichika used her computer for her social media activities more than her actual work. Ito must have thought it worth firing her over.

Taking a few steps to the side so you would not block the elevator, you turned to face Ichika fully and waited for her to finish her approach. When she reached you, she raised a hand to slap you. You caught her wrist calmly. 

Ichika wrenched it away. "How dare you, you little hussy," she spat, "how dare you take everything I taught you, everything I did for you, rise above me then turn around and convince Ito to fire me!" 

You raised an eyebrow at her view of events. "I did not know you had been let go until this very moment. I am sorry for the shock, but if you have been fired it would have been through your own efforts, or lack of, and nothing more." You tried your best to ignore the crowd that was gathering.

More tears turned Ichika's cheeks almost completely black. "This is about that project, isn't it? You're mad that I took the credit for your controller idea."

"You're admitting it yourself, you know. But even if I had said something, which I didn't, that wouldn't have mattered. KaibaCorp's all about results; we don't care about minutiae. You didn't do the work. Any work and it caught up to you. "

"It must be nice fucking the boss, you can get him to take care of all your petty little grudges, huh?"

You weren't sure if she meant Seto or Ito, but either way, the thought was abhorrent. Fury gave you crystal clarity. You wouldn't want to do anything you might regret, not with the crowd of loiterers around you. Calling upon your experiences of Seto's glares, you cut her down with a contemptful look. "Excuse me," you said, drawing yourself up. Ichika took a step back. "You must be projecting. I haven't needed to use any "favors" to get where I am, just hard work and ambition. You wouldn't understand this because you've never done a true day's work in your whole life. You were fired because KaibaCorp is better without you. So pack up your things and get out so we can clean up your mess." You stepped closer and smirked ferally. "Good luck with your next job," you said, making it clear that you thought there wouldn't really be another. 

Lips trembling, Ichika said, "Fine, bitch." She turned and started to leave. "I don't need this shitty company anyway, run by money-grabbing bastards who use us like playthings."

You nearly attacked her. However much you disliked Seto personally, that insult had included Mokuba. A quick glance at the people around you kept you still enough to stay the impulse until she'd left the building. You hadn't been able to read the attitude of the onlookers for most of the altercation, but now you could see that there wasn't a lot of sympathy for Ichika. The people moved out of her way like she was diseased.

You turned and bowed briefly to the crowd. "I'm sorry for the disturbance, everyone. She didn't make an appointment." There were a few titters. "Please excuse me, I've been away from my desk too long already." Realizing that they were also dawdling, everyone dispersed quickly. You gave a sigh of relief and turned towards the elevator.

Hanako was standing behind you. "Oh, Hanako-chan. I'm sorry you had to see that. How are you?"

She swallowed heavily. "I- I was also let go," she said in a small voice.

Your heart sank. "Oh, oh no. I hope you didn't," you waved vaguely at the direction Ichika had gone. "I'm sure you're not- that doesn't apply to you, you know."

Hanako took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, trying to keep tears down. "Yeah, I know."

"Did they tell you why?" you asked.

A couple of her tears escaped. "I had too many complaints filed against me for- for gossip. I wasn't trying to... I just like to chat, you know, but, well. I can see how I made some people uncomfortable."

"Oh, Hanako," was all that you could say. You approached her and slowly reached for her shoulder. She didn't avoid you, so you slipped an arm around her and pulled her close.

She accepted the affection for a moment before stepping away and brushing off the tears. "I just wanted to see you before I left to say goodbye, and to- and to make sure that I didn't ever," her mouth trembled, "make you uncomfortable."

"No. No, Hanako, you didn't. We're friends. I'm really glad you came to tell me personally. Hey, I know you probably need some time, but we can still hang out, right?"

She looked unsure but said, "Yeah, maybe after a while."

"Okay, yeah, take all the time you need. You have my number." 

Hanako just nodded and left. You trudged back up to your office, not looking forward to another five hours at work. You wanted to chew out the department heads responsible for this mess but dismissed the idea. They were allowed to fire whoever they felt like, and as an analyst, you were definitely on the side of suggesting that they get rid of dead-weight. Your feelings were just due to the effect those dismissals had on you personally- there were probably others that you didn't even know about. Personnel changes were part of your work, you had known it already, but it didn't make it any easier. You were going to have to get tough, just not so tough, you hoped, that you turned out like the picture you doodled of Seto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's an actual doodle I did of the picture. It's on my [deviantart.](https://www.deviantart.com/nyx-moon/art/Relevant-to-IKWK-775490831)


	9. The Past Bites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ain't no party like a KaibaCorp party...

"Excuse me, Vice-president Mokuba-san?" you asked, sticking your head into his office. His secretary said you could just go in, but Mokuba was so busy lately that you didn't want to interrupt. 

His head was down as he scribbled viciously in a notebook. "Just... one... second... there." He looked up and smiled when he saw that it was you. "Oh, this is rare."

"I was just hoping that you had a minute to talk."

Mokuba pouted for a second. "I was just about to go up and talk to Seto. Oh," he said, brightening, "maybe you would like to walk with me and talk on the way?" He stood and put on his suit jacket. 

You didn't want to meet Seto, but your discussion would probably be over before you got there. "That's fine with me. Here," you said, reaching for the papers he picked up. "I'll carry those, you're my superior, after all."

Mokuba gave a few instructions to his secretary and then you both headed towards the elevator. "Is there no school today?" you asked slyly.

He gave you a look. "You know I don't go every day. I complete the lessons ahead of time so the teachers don't mind if I split my time between here and there. I wanted to quit school completely, but Seto is against it."

"I think he's right. School is an important time to make memories, or so they say."

"What important memories?"

You shrugged and pressed the elevator button for the top floor. "I wouldn't know, but things like school events? You had your trip recently, right?"

"Sorry," Mokuba said, holding a hand in front of his face in apology, "I forgot. Ehh, the school trip was fine, but I've been to Okinawa a few times already so there wasn't anything new."

"What about friends? Don't you get along with the class?"

"I get along with them," Mokuba said defensively. "But I'm not there all the time, and they're all older than me anyway, so I wouldn't say that we're friends."

You frowned. "Is that okay? I would think-"

"What did you want to talk to me about? We're almost there."

"Oh!" You handed him a print out of an e-mail HR had sent you. "I'd like to attend this training. Do you think you could approve it?"

Mokuba took the paper but didn't read it. "Why didn't you ask Seto? You're meeting with him tomorrow anyway, right?"

"Am I?" If Mokuba knew ahead of time, why couldn't you? You scratched your cheek. "Well, it isn't exactly related to my job duties. No," you said hurriedly, "it's not unrelated. The things I'd learn are definitely useful, but since it's not management training I didn't think Seto would let me."

"If you're sure that it would help you it's fine with me. I'll send a note to HR later." Mokuba looked at you intently. "You're not overworking yourself again, are you?"

"No, Mother. Actually, I'm a little restless now that I don't have the other job. It was great to just learn things, have different experiences. Now, it's just the analyst stuff and I do love it; I just want to learn so much more. I've been filling in occasionally when a department gets behind but it isn't really the same."

You had finally arrived at the lobby outside of Seto's office and Katakura-san phoned in to tell him that Mokuba was there. Mokuba took his papers back from you. "Speaking of other stuff, are you going to participate in Kaiba Corporation's annual Duel Monsters tournament? The winner gets to use the executive lounge," Mokuba said. 

"Nah, I don't think so. Duel Monsters gives me a headache," you said.

"Pathetic," said Seto behind you, making you jump out of your skin. He was dressed to go home in his typical long coat. "What is the fraud doing here?"

You hated when he called you that. Worried about rumors, you glanced around to the secretary's desk, but Katakura didn't seem to think too deeply about it. "I work here, President Kaiba-san."

"For now," he said. "Our meeting is tomorrow. Scram."

You clicked your tongue. So he really was keeping you on your toes on purpose. You turned to Mokuba, who looked like he wanted to scold Seto about something. "Then I'll be going. Have a great day, Vice-President Mokuba-san," you said, deliberately excluding Seto from your pleasantry. Mokuba waved as you turned back to the elevator.

Mokuba came through on the training you asked for, and a few others besides. In addition, you also took a few lessons outside of work for various interests. It was nice picking up new skills and it also helped you relieve the stresses of your job better than just sitting at home and brooding on them. 

The DM tournament was held over a weekend so that it wouldn't take away from any working hours. You didn't participate or even go watch, instead taking the time to sit at home and quietly play with Tatsu. You felt guilty that you had to leave him so often, even if you had arranged for one of the neighbors to check in on him for you. One thing that you couldn't get out of was the company party to celebrate the tournament winner. Mokuba had personally asked you so you couldn't refuse.

The party was held in a really fancy club, the kind that you would never be able to enter normally. There were marble pillars and pristine fountains around the walls. Tuxedoed waiters walked trays of drinks around the room and a chef monitored the food tables. Most of the party attendees were tournament participants and their dates. Seto and Mokuba may be the only others besides you who didn't play. The two executives were barred from the tournament in order to make it fair for the other employees. 

During the cocktail hour, you sipped a non-alcoholic beverage sparingly and looked over the other partygoers. A lot of the dates had dressed up nicely, but since it was a business function you had chosen one of your nicer suits. 

"I think you look fine," said Irie, who had placed 11th in the tournament. "Although, I'm curious to see what sort of fancy clothes you would choose for yourself."

"What do you think I would choose, Irie-kun?" you asked.

He tapped a finger against his glass thoughtfully. "I'm not sure, but I bet you'd be stunning. Half the room would be watching you."

You weren't sure how you would feel about that. "Well, I guess you'll never know."

"Don't be like that," Irie said. "Why don't we-"

"Sorry, can we move? I think there's an hors d'oeuvre over there I want to try." In reality, it looked like Seto and Mokuba were going to walk your way and you hoped to avoid them. Either of their attitudes towards you might still become a problem if witnessed by others. You linked Irie's arm and led him over to the far side of the room, where there were indeed several trays of very tasty snacks. 

While you munched, there was a small ceremony where Seto and Mokuba presented the champion with a trophy and a keycard to the executive's lounge. Afterward, the party relaxed back into the same atmosphere as before, with a few guests bringing out Duel Monsters decks for casual games. The host of the lounge spoke with Seto and Mokuba briefly before leading them up a small staircase at the back of the room and behind a velvet curtain.

Irie saw you look. "Oh, they've opened up the second floor. It's even more exclusive because besides belonging to the club you have to pay to get in. It's worth it, though. Should we go check it out?"

"Yeah, I'm kind of curious. Besides, this is probably my only chance, right?"

When you got to the stairs, an attendant by the name of Tsubasa stood by a velvet rope strung across the stairwell. They had a small bag for the money. "Two for the upstairs?" they asked.

"Yes, how much is the charge?" replied Irie.

They smiled. "You're lucky! Kaiba-sama has paid so that the first ten people get a reduced rate. That will be 3,000 yen."

Irie rejoiced and got out his wallet, but something in you recoiled from the idea of accepting Seto's charity, even if he wouldn't know it. "Eh, that's okay," you said, "I'll pay the full rate. How much is that?"

"10,000 yen."

You looked in your wallet and blanched. "How about 5,000 yen and the eleventh person only has to pay 8,000?"

Tsubasa was too professional to let more than a glimmer in their eye show how much they wanted to laugh. "That's fine, miss."

"I could cover the rest," Irie offered. 

You flushed. "Thanks, Irie-kun, but that would defeat the purpose. I'll just pay this, and maybe you can buy me a drink upstairs, because," you turned your wallet upside-down, "I'm out."

Tsubasa accepted your money with Irie's and unclipped the velvet rope to allow both of you to ascend.

The upstairs was even classier. While the lower level had small tables scattered throughout the room to allow for conversation and a few impromptu duels, this room had tables only around the outside. The middle was reserved for a dance floor and a few people that had come up before you were already ballroom dancing upon it. Behind you, a few more people were emerging from the stairwell.

"I'm going to get you that drink before the bar up here gets busy," said Irie, slipping away. You took the opportunity to use the very posh bathroom. When you returned Irie waved you over to a small table with two glasses, non-alcoholic for you and full strength for him. It was close enough to the dance floor that you could see the couples dancing. It was fun watching people enjoy the party and making jokes about it with Irie. 

After a waiter had removed your empty glasses, Irie stood and motioned to the dance floor. "Do you want to try?"

"Why not?" You stood and took his hand. "I warn you, though, I know nothing about this."

Irie helped position you into a rough dancing form. "That's alright. I've had a lesson or two; I think I can guide you."

It was a disaster. Irie tried his best, but he wasn't very good at explaining what you were supposed to be doing. There were so many things to keep track of that you weren't able to pay attention to the cues he was giving you. Though you managed not to step on each others' feet, you did crash into each other and lose your grip plenty. Even aware that your dancing was a trainwreck, it was still pretty fun. Maybe next time you should take dance classes. 

Finally, you and Irie gave up. Stumbling, laughing, and panting, the two of you left the dance floor to the real dancers. You were so preoccupied in finding a chair to sink into that you didn't notice Yamashita talking to Mokuba and Seto nearby until he spoke.

"Not too much dance experience, I see," teased Yamashita. 

"None." You laughed breathily. "Irie-kun has tried his best, but I'm unleadable."

Yamashita looked at Seto. "Maybe this is your chance to showcase your skills. I'm sure you could lead anyone. You would make a great picture dancing together." Yamashita wasn't trying to set you up together, was he?

Seto sneered at you. "No thanks. I don't like to waste my time on things that are so obviously impossible. Besides, I don't take any pleasure in catering to other men's cast-offs." Yamashita and Irie stiffened at the insult to you, but thankfully they didn't realize the full implications of Seto's statement. Mokuba did, though, and his expression darkened. 

You ignored his response and took the opportunity of a sympathetic audience to get back at Seto a little. "Oh, I'm much too tired to carry the massive weight of Kaiba-san's ego for an entire waltz. Perhaps another time."

Seto's sneer dropped. "Maybe if you had any pride, mine wouldn't be such a burden, you shameless fraud."

"Shameless? I'm ashamed of plenty; notably my obligations to you."

"I would list all the things you should be ashamed of, but I'm afraid that the venue would close before I'm done," he replied.

Unable to come up with a response, you fired a scathing glare at him which he returned until Mokuba put a hand on his arm and pulled him aside to talk to him in a low voice. 

You made an effort to unclench your fists and relax your shoulders. Yamashita smiled weakly. "I didn't realize that this was a touchy subject."

"It's not your fault, Yamashita-san," you said. All that effort trying to avoid Seto and it ended up like this anyway. You looked for something to ease the atmosphere and draw attention away from what just happened. "Did you duel in the tournament, Yamashita-san?" 

His shoulders relaxed a little. "Yes, it's a hobby of mine."

"Just a hobby? He placed second," Irie said to you. "Yamashita-san, your strategy was so unique. I've never seen some of those spell cards before."

"Really? I don't think it's very special. You see, my deck-"

You turned away from the duel monsters conversation to see what had happened to Mokuba and Seto, but you couldn't see them anymore. They might have left, but you expected that at least one of them would stay until the end of the party. You felt a twinge of regret for what you had said. During the privacy of your meetings, Seto fielded your spiteful remarks with relative good humor, but the look on his face tonight made it clear that he didn't appreciate being put down in front of others. 

You spent a few minutes of half-listening to Yamashita and Irie's duel monsters discourse before Mokuba pulled up a chair next to you. "I am so sorry," Mokuba said. "Seto can be so obstinate and, of course, when he wants to say something he doesn't hold back. Don't take it personally."

"Mokuba," you said flatly, "it is totally personal. He doesn't like me. As a person."

"I really don't think that's it. I mean, you're smart, a hard worker, really nice, and pr- and uh," he narrowed his eyes in thought, "pr-prescient?"

You laughed. "I don't think that's the right word."

Mokuba blushed. "Anyway, I think under different circumstances he would like you." Noting your raised eyebrow he said, "Well, at least not hate you."

You didn't want to talk about trying to separate your circumstances from who you were as a person, so you said, "Is Seto really a good dancer, though? It doesn't seem like his thing."

"Seto is good at everything," replied Mokuba automatically. "I would have asked you to dance myself, but my height..." he trailed off as if he hadn't meant to say that.

"Mokuba, are you self-conscious about how tall you are? You're only fourteen."

He pouted. "Seto was already way taller at my age."

You tried not to laugh. "Doesn't it just seem that way because you were even smaller back then?"

"I've seen the numbers! Wait 'even smaller?'" he said, noticing the way your shoulders shook, "Are you laughing at me?"

"Noooo," you said, grinning wildly. "Don't worry, Mokuba. I'm sure you'll have a growth spurt and shoot up in no time." 

He glared at you. "When I'm taller than you, you're going to regret this."

Irie tapped on Mokuba's shoulder. "Mokuba-san, do you think I could borrow my date for a moment?" 

"Your date?" asked Mokuba, but Irie had already turned to you. 

"Yamashita-san is going to show me some of his duel monsters collection so I can't take you home. Do you want to come with us or..."

Apparently, Irie had so much to drink that he forgot the part where he had neither invited nor arrived with you to the party and that you had not made plans to leave together, either. "I wanted to stay and enjoy the party a little more. Besides, I don't know much about Duel Monsters, so I'd just be a bother."

"Oh, okay. Then I'll see you later." He looked like he wanted to lean in to kiss your cheek.

"Irie-kun," you said, raising a hand warningly, "I'll see you at work." He blushed, mumbled his goodbyes, and left. 

Mokuba drummed his fingers against his knee absently. "I don't like that guy."

"Irie's alright. A little childish, maybe."

"Hm," said Mokuba, but that was all. "You don't like Duel Monsters, but what about Capsule Monster Chess?"

You didn't know it. Mokuba got all fired up explaining and even showed you the prototype game app he was developing for it. He promised to get you in as a beta tester so that you could play together with him. It was great to see him so energetic; lately, he seemed to expend a lot of energy trying to be too grown-up.

After he had assured you that his required socializing for the evening was over, you sat and chatted happily for the rest of the party. Eventually, the music stopped and everyone started to clear out. 

You looked at your watch. "Ah, goodbye, last train," you mourned. 

"Do you need me to take you home?" offered Mokuba.

Stretching, you shook your head. "No, I'll just get a room somewhere nearby."

"Are you sure? It's not any trouble to me."

"It's fine, Mokuba," you said as you went down the stairs. Tsubasa was there bidding guests farewell, and they jolted your memory. "Ah, actually..." you turned to Mokuba and placed your palms together in front of your face. "I forgot, I don't actually have any money with me. If it's not too much of a bother to send me..."

"Or you could drop dead," said Seto behind you. 

You swung around, hand over your pounding heart. "Stop doing that! Honestly, every time. Someone of your size should make more noise when he walks. Do you take pleasure in surprising me?"

Seto's glare had an extra edge. "That, or you have a guilty conscience. And look, I've finally caught you making your move. No money, huh? That's a riot. I do know that I pay you more than enough to keep you from needing any favors." Perhaps you should have carried more cash on you, but you hadn't expected to pay the extra charge for visiting the second floor of the venue. Still, the bite of truth kept you from responding immediately.

"Seto, I offered first," said Mokuba in your hesitation. "Isn't that what a friend should do?"

"She's not your friend, Mokuba. For the last time, this is just an elaborate scheme to use you for our money. You need to be more careful about who you associate with."

"I'm more careful than you," said Mokuba. "How many times has your misguided efforts gotten us into trouble?"

"This isn't about me, Mokuba. It's about how gullible you're being right now!"

"How about the complete ass you're being, Seto? You do know that you embarrass me when you do that, right?"

You shrank back a little, apparently forgotten. From the start, the two Kaibas had not agreed when it came to you, but you didn't think you'd ever become the topic of an outright argument. You looked around to see if anyone from the company was watching. The club must have opened up the lower level to regular members again because there were plenty of people, but you didn't recognize anyone. 

Then you did. You stepped forward and pushed Mokuba into Seto. Seto caught Mokuba and threw a hand out to keep you back. It wasn't necessary. You spun on the spot, placing yourself between the Kaibas and Hakato.

It was hard to recognize him. Gaunt and scruffy, it was clear that his life hadn't been as good lately as you remembered. Mokuba had mentioned that Seto had destroyed Hakato's organization in many ways, but some part of you hadn't believed it. He looked ill, or maybe just drunk. 

You heard Seto snarl. There was some shuffling behind you but you didn't dare turn to look. Hakato had an unsettling smile and it was leveled at you as he pushed through the crowd. 

"What a dish, who would have thought that I'd find Maita still with the brothers Kaiba? I guess you're hard to get rid of for anyone, not just me," Hakato said when he was close enough.

You put an arm up defensively. "I don't answer to that name anymore."

"Why not?" he asked, eyes wide. "Didn't you like it? It was the name of my favorite dog, after all." He cackled mirthlessly, eyes still open. 

"I'm warning you, Hakato. Get out," growled Seto behind you.

Hakato pretended to examine his nails. "Aren't you going to ask me what I'm doing here, Seto?"

"I don't care. You're going to be taken out in a moment anyway."

Hakato gestured around. "With all these people? Kaiba, that's not a very good public image. Besides," he said, "I'm just talking. No harm in talking." He smiled in what was supposed to be an innocent way and showed the palms of his hands.

"As if we would trust you," you spat. Mokuba came to stand beside you, resting a hand on your shoulder.

Hakato barked out a laugh. "Just listen to her! It's like she thinks she's people." His smile soured. "Listen, honey, you're not a person. You're a fucking monster. Actually," he sneered, "you couldn't even be that, could you? Just an empty shell, just an embarrassment, just a burden. We couldn't even send you back."

Your stomach rolled. At the complex you hadn't been on speaking terms, so you hadn't an opportunity to ask him about your situation, although he was probably the one who would know the most. Now, you weren't sure that you even wanted to know, but you needed to. "What do you mean?" you demanded.

Hakato clenched his hands. "What do I mean? I mean that ever since I took you on, everything started to turn. If you hadn't been draining our resources, if your mystery patron hadn't fucking disappeared, I wouldn't have needed to ransom this little shit, and Seto Kaiba would have never taken everything. If only we'd let you die, project be damned." In an instant, a gun was in his hands.

Mokuba tried to move in front of you, but Seto pulled him back just as you shoved him away. You thought you noticed the barrel of the gun track you instead of Mokuba, so you dove in the opposite direction. 

A bullet slammed into your arm. You crashed into a small table and dropped to the floor, barely registering another gunshot. Your ears buzzed as heat flowed down your arm. You tried to move it to get a look, but the searing pain made you stop. Your breaths were shallow. Maybe if you had more air your head wouldn't feel like it was going to float away. You tried to breathe more deeply, but your ribs were constricting too much. 

Mokuba slid down next to you in a panic. "Hey, you're going to be okay. It's going to be alright. We got him. Seto took him down; our forces are handling it. We've got an ambulance coming for you, do you think you can stay awake until then?" Despite his frantic eyes, Mokuba's voice was very calm. 

You wanted to speak, but your mouth was glued shut and your throat was dry. You settled for a little nod. After a moment, you were able to force your lips apart. "No hospital," you croaked.

"What? No, you've been shot, you need treatment."

"I can't anymore," you said, finding it easier to speak, though you started to shiver. "Not again. Hakato's not putting me in the hospital." 

Seto emerged from the chaos that surged behind Mokuba. Frowning, he crouched down next to you and examined the wound, then looked over your pale face. "We need to prevent shock," he said. He gathered the tablecloth off the table you knocked over and started trying to stop the bleeding. "Mokuba, lay her down, then put something under her feet." Every touch of his fingers felt like fire, but you managed to keep your screams of pain to low grunts. "Mokuba, take this," he said, letting Mokuba apply pressure to your wound as he slid off his coat. He laid it over you before standing. "Keep talking to her; keep her calm until the paramedics arrive." He started to leave.

"No hospital. I don't- not anymore," you said, weakly. Seto just looked at you a moment before walking back into the swirling rush of people just outside your sphere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... 'cuz a KaibaCorp party ends in bloodshed.
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I hope you had fun reading!


	10. Rise and Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: You were shot at the KaibaCorp party, but Spoiler Alert! You didn't die.

The pain from your arm woke you up-- a dull throb. It wasn’t as bad as you expected; the IV in your arm must be giving you painkillers. 

You were alone and lying on a large bed in a well-appointed room with expensive furnishings. It seemed like a hotel; you could see a sliver of an adjoining bathroom through a small door on one wall. At least it wasn’t a hospital, although now that you hadn’t just been shot it didn’t seem to matter as much. 

You didn’t remember what happened after Seto had walked away. There were some paramedics, but then you might have been sedated. You lay for a while, trying to remember as much as possible, but all you could get was the vague sound of Mokuba talking to you. It surprised you that Mokuba wasn't waiting for you to wake up again. There wasn't any evidence that someone had even visited you. You felt a little lonely.

“Excuse me?” you called, sitting up carefully. Obviously, someone had been taking care of you; they shouldn’t be far. 

The door opened and a maid stepped inside. “Yes, ma’am? What can I help you with?”

A maid? This must be a very fancy place. “Where am I?”

“This is the Kaiba mansion, ma’am. You are in the green room,” she said, indicating the veridian carpet and drapes. 

You had dismissed the possibility that they had brought you home as ridiculous. Seto would normally never want you here. “Um, okay. Did, uh, did Mokuba want to know when I woke up, or…”

“No, ma’am, although I am supposed to check your bandages. If you’ll allow me?” she said, approaching the bed. 

“Sure,” you said, unable to keep the dejection from your voice. The maid looked at your arm and, finding the wrappings worth changing, went to work. Despite her gentle touch, you still had to grit your teeth at times.

Just as the maid, whose name was Izumi, was fastening the new bandage the door burst open and Mokuba rushed in. “Of course you would wake up as soon as I leave,” he panted. “How are you?” He went to one of the plush armchairs in the corner and started pushing it over towards the bed.

“Thank you, Izumi,” you said just before the woman left. “I’ve been shot, Mokuba. But good, considering,” you said. “You were looking after me?”

Mokuba sat. “I wanted to be here so you wouldn’t be confused.”

“You haven't done a very good job," you said archly, "so now you have to unconfuse me. What happened? I mean," you gestured towards your injury, "I remember that Hakato shot me, but what about after that?"

Mokuba shifted. "Seto fired back. He doesn't normally carry a gun, but for some reason, he had one last night. He shot Hakato and," he paused, glancing at you nervously, "Hakato didn't make it."

At first, you didn't know why Mokuba was being tentative about it. It wasn't like you cared for Hakato, after all. Then you realized; Hakato had all the clues to your identity. If he was dead, your secrets died with him. "I understand," you said finally. "We probably wouldn't have learned anything more from him, anyway."

Mokuba frowned gently. Maybe he thought you were just trying to be tough, but right now you really didn't feel that upset about it. Perhaps that would change with time.

"But what about me? Shouldn't I have been taken to a hospital?"

Mokuba's eyebrows shot up. "You didn't want to go to a hospital. You fought the paramedics over it so much that they had to sedate you. Once they determined that the bullet had just passed through the muscle, they were convinced to bring you here instead." 

Probably convinced with money. "But what about this stuff?" You raised your hand with the IV. "Don't tell me you just have this around the house?"

"We had our family doctor come check you out. He'll be back later."

You reached out your good hand and Mokuba took it. "Now, Mokuba, there's something I want to talk to you about."

He glanced at your hand and back up to you. "Yes?"

You gave him a tight-lipped smile. "What did you think you were doing when Hakato pulled that gun?" Mokuba pulled back, but you kept your grip on his hand. "Mokuba," you said, "Did you think that I would be happy if you had been shot protecting me?"

He squirmed. "No, I didn't think at all. I was moving before I knew it. I didn't want-"

"I believe," you said, squeezing his hand even tighter, "that I already told you that you should look after yourself first." 

"I get it. I'm sorry, okay?" Mokuba said, flexing his fingers. 

"Are you? I don't think you are sorry at all. In fact, I think that if the opportunity arose, that you would try it again."

"You're important to me. I don't want to see you hurt, either. And as a man, I should-"

You crushed his hand, ignoring his yelp. "As a man? Mokuba." You paused, drawing in a slow breath and finally releasing his hand. "Alright, let's look at it this way. I'm an important person to you. Thank you very much. But, Mokuba, you are THE most important person to me. Imagine how you would feel if Seto got hurt protecting you."

Mokuba stopped shaking his hand. "I always feel horribly guilty."

Your chest tightened; of course, he already knew what it felt like and you felt terrible for bringing it up. "There, you see? I'm very happy that you want to protect me, really. As long as you're carefully considering my feelings I won't make you promise that you won't try it again. Well," you said playfully, "I doubt someone besides Hakato would try to shoot me."

Mokuba just frowned at you reproachfully. "I don't think it's something to be joked about. Being close to us is dangerous, after all. You may still be targeted."

You scoffed. "Right now Seto is probably the one who would like to shoot me the most." You shuddered at the thought. "Actually, I think I will accept your protection in this case; Seto scares the hell out of me when he's pissed."

"If he were going to shoot you he would have done it by now," said Mokuba flippantly. "If you're done scolding me, is there anything you need? You must be hungry." He pulled a small cord beside the bed. "What would you like? We can make anything."

As you were eating, the doctor came back to examine you. He removed the IV, gave you a sling for your arm, prescribed you some pain-relief pills, and told you to make an appointment at a clinic for follow-up care and physical therapy. 

You got out of bed and took a shower. It was difficult with only one arm, but it helped you feel much better. Mokuba had some clothes prepared for you. His choices made you smile; he had obviously paid attention to what you liked to wear. Then you made the mistake of glancing at the tags.

You scrambled out of the bathroom. "Mokuba," you said, holding out the pile, "what is this?"

Mokuba was sitting on the armchair, working. "What is what?" He started to look up from his laptop, but then turned away, throwing a hand over his eyes. "Put those on!"

You were safely wrapped up in a towel, so you ignored him. "These are too expensive. Take them back and get something from Uniqlo. Or better yet, go get my actual clothes."

Mokuba had a hand up shielding his face, but he cracked his fingers apart as he turned slightly to address you. "I can't return them. It's fine, just-- just put those on for now and we'll get you something else for later."

"Then, I'll stay in the towel until the clothes I was wearing yesterday are clean. I can't accept something so expensive."

"You can't. Your old clothes were so dirty we just threw them away. We don't have anything else right now, so just suck it up and put them on. Unless you want to wear Seto's things."

"I think yours would fit me better-"

He stood, face red. "Take the damn clothes," he yelled and stormed out of the room.

The door slammed. "Don't say 'damn,'" you muttered. Defeated, you went and laid everything out on the bed. Mokuba's laptop sat discarded on the side table; you closed it without looking at the screen and dressed.

Once you were done, you poked your head out of the door. Mokuba stood in the hall, rubbing his temples and muttering. "Sorry, Mokuba," you said. "How does this look?"

He looked up wearily. "Good. I'm glad they fit-- I took your sizes from the clothes we discarded. So what now? Would you like to go home?"

"Actually, is your brother home? I'd like to thank him. I mean, obviously I'll pay for all of this, but it was still really nice of him to respect my wishes."

Mokuba looked at you askance. "Even if he had little to do with it?"

"Yes, Mokuba. I know very well that you advocated for me, but still... if he had absolutely refused you would have respected his decision."

He sighed. "Seto's home. Come on, I don't think he's busy." Mokuba took off down the hallway, motioning for you to follow. 

The hallway was long. It was obvious that the Kaibas' economic status would allow them a huge house, but knowing it and actually walking through their mansion was completely different. The walls were hung with landscapes and portraits bigger than your bed at home and you passed more doors than existed in your entire apartment building. Eventually, Mokuba led you to a set of large wooden doors. As you approached, you could hear voices inside.

"...didn't determine him to be a threat to your safety," said an unknown voice.

"One of my employees was shot right in front of my little brother and me," Seto answered, voice icy. "How is that not a threat?"

Mokuba turned to you. "I guess he's busy right now, let's just wait a while," he said quietly.

Seto's voice climbed behind the door"...be fired, and unless you've got some damn good reasons, it's going to be you!"

Mokuba and you sneaked away and through french doors onto a small veranda. There was a small patio set ready for anyone who wanted to take in the view. Mokuba directed you to sit on the couch before disappearing back inside. You sat down gratefully. Shading your eyes, you looked out over the Kaiba property. It was beautiful. The maze of landscaping curled in soothing patterns, the kind that eased you into a sort of thoughtless trance. 

Despite the midday sun, the air was still chill, but Mokuba soon returned with an armful of blankets. He draped one over your shoulders and gave you one for your lap before curling up under one of his own. 

"This place is amazing," you said after a few minutes of companionable silence. "Your friends must be floored when you bring them over."

Mokuba frowned as if he knew what you were onto. "I don't bring friends over."

"Why not? I mean, the house is so big you could just distract Seto in another part of the house and never worry about your big brother sticking to you."

He snorted. "No. I've got enough to do."

"I'm just worried about you. You're very capable, but you're still a kid. You need someone you can just be yourself with sometimes."

He bristled at the word 'kid.' "I'm old enough to be vice-president of a major corporation. Someone my age whose biggest worry is whether or not they have to take remedial classes isn't going to get me 'just being myself.'" 

"Mokuba," you said, but he stood abruptly. 

"Just leave it alone. You have enough to worry about, so why don't you try thinking about your own situation?" he snapped. He threw his blanket down and went back inside. 

You were just taking off your own blankets to follow him when Mokuba stuck his head out again. "Seto's free. Go on in," he said and left in a huff.

You did your best to gather the blankets one-handed, but once you were inside you had no idea where he had gotten them. You draped them on one of the benches along the hall. Spotting a drinking cart nearby you got a glass of water and took a pain relief pill, hoping it would calm your headache as well as your throbbing arm. 

Taking a deep breath, you knocked on Seto's door lightly. There was no response. You knocked a bit louder. 

"Enough! Come in," growled Seto. You had originally hoped that he would be in a good mood when you talked to him, but clearly, you would be starting at a disadvantage.

"Excuse me, Kaiba-san," you said, bowing as you entered. "I was hoping to speak with you a moment."

Seto didn't respond. He sat behind a mahogany desk, surprisingly clear of any work. He was gazing thoughtfully at the grains in the wood, a small frown on his face as he apparently worked through an entire trainyard of thoughts. 

After a few moments, you cleared your throat. Seto shut his eyes and drew in a long breath. Then he looked at you, lips pressed tightly together. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you," you began, "but I wanted to thank you for all of this. Tending my wound, bringing me here, calling your doctor, all of it. I know it's a great inconvenience to you and I am very grateful." You bowed as deeply as you could with your arm and maintained it for a few moments. When you finally looked up, you first thought that Seto was gazing at you thoughtfully, but then you noticed that he was actually looking through you. 

"Um, then, if you'll excuse me, Kaiba-san," you said tentatively, bowing quickly and turning to go.

"You weren't his target."

You swung around. This time Seto really was looking at you. "I don't understand," you said.

"Hakato didn't know you'd be there. You took a bullet that was meant for one of us."

Well, that certainly explained Seto's magnanimity. "Oh, well, that's good, then."

Seto narrowed his eyes but said nothing. 

The lack of insults or disdain was making you fidget. "Well, since we're square... oh, but does your doctor accept KaibaCorp Insurance? I mean, obviously, because he's your doctor, right, but you probably have benefits that I don't and I'm pretty sure that house calls aren't covered," Seto's eyebrows started to come together, "but I'm rambling and I'll talk to HR about it later." 

When Seto still didn't respond you started backing towards the door. "Then that's all I needed, Kaiba-san, so I'll go home. Thanks again," you said, bowing your head and darting out the door.

Once safely outside, you shuddered. A docile Seto was creepy, somehow. Then you realized that you forgot to say something. You gave a single, dry sob before steeling yourself and opening the study door again.

"I'm sorry, Kaiba-san-"

Seto slammed a hand on his desk. "What is it now?" he demanded. 

Ah, that was better. "I know it isn't really my place, but I would like to talk to you about Mokuba. I'm worried about him."

He snarled. "What makes you think that you would know something that I don't?"

You raised an eyebrow. "So then teenage boys are always perfectly forthcoming with their authority figures?"

"So what?"

You thought he would continue and berate you, so it took a moment to realize that he was really asking. "Oh, um. Sorry," you said, shaking your head a little. You stopped quickly because of dizziness. "Sorry, I think this medication has some side effects."

"You're wasting my time. Either say it or get out."

You steadied yourself. "I just think you need to keep an extra eye on him. It seems like he's trying too hard. He clearly looks up to you, but I think he's having a hard time balancing his desire to emulate and impress you and being a normal teenager," you said, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of Seto's desk. His eyes flashed at your informality, but again he didn't comment.

"Mokuba didn't tell me much about your history, but I gather that it wasn't easy," you continued. "I don't know if you're the one pushing him, or if he's doing it by himself. Either way, I think you'll agree that Mokuba shouldn't overwork himself for no reason. Mokuba's a social kid. Did you know that he doesn't spend time with any friends from school? I mean, you can't always find someone you connect within a single high school, but it seems troubling that he only seems to spend time with you or me."

Seto just stared at you in that soul-searing way you were so familiar with. "An-anyway, he says it isn't a problem but he's always so defensive when I bring it up that I don't believe him. I'm sure as his guardian you have it handled, but I thought I should speak up anyway because I really like Mokuba." Your eyes started to tear up, maybe the medication made you emotional. "He's saved me so many times; I just want him to be happy."

"Ugh," said Seto. He reached for his phone and pushed a button. "Mokuba's happiness isn't any of your concern. Someone who can't even keep her own life balanced shouldn't be poking her nose into others' business." Ah, both brothers were both telling you the same thing. 

Someone knocked briskly on the door before stepping inside. "Isono," said Seto, "get this woman out of my house."

"Yes, sir." The suited Isono stepped forward to help you out of the chair. "Come on, Miss. Let's get your things." He led you out of the office and back down the hallway silently. 

You were able to get your emotions under control before you arrived back at the green room. Mokuba wasn't there, although his laptop was gone. You gathered your bag from yesterday and the accessories that had avoided being thrown out. Then Isono took you on a shorter walk to the front door. A car was waiting and Isono opened the rear door for you.

You paused before getting in. "I'd like to tell Mokuba goodbye, Isono-san."

"I'm sorry, Miss. Mokuba-sama said that he did not want to be disturbed. It's time to go," he said, motioning for you to enter the car. 

You turned to look at the mansion before you got in the car but didn't see Mokuba in any of the windows so you went ahead and let Isono take you home.

The drive was quiet for a while, but then Isono cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Miss?"

You dragged your eyes away from the window; you had almost fallen asleep. "Yes?"

Isono kept his eyes on the road in front. "I don't think anyone has said it yet. Thank you, Miss."

"You're welcome," you said automatically. "Wait, for what?"

"For the young masters' welfare. From what I've gathered, if you hadn't been there, that man's target would have certainly been one of them."

"You're thanking me," you said slowly, "for being shot?"

"Not just, Miss. I also know that you have a bit of history with Mokuba-sama. I'm glad to learn that you look out for him without taking advantage. I think it's good for him to have someone in his life that isn't obligated to be there."

Isono's a good person. "I feel like I need him more than he needs me, though."

"That is also still good for him," said Isono, braking the car gently. "We've arrived, Miss." Isono helped you carry your things up to your apartment before bidding you farewell. 

Tatsu was excited to see you, and you, him. It felt like it had been forever since you'd been able to snuggle him, although it had hardly been a day. Your neighbor, Ayumu, had been over to take care of him so at least you didn't have to worry about his food and water. You were making a note to increase Ayumu's pay when the phone rang. It was Mokuba.

"Hey Mokuba, I'm sorry I miss-"

"What did you say to Seto?" Mokuba demanded.

"What?"

"I told you to leave it alone and then you went and mouthed off to Seto about something, didn't you? He's put a restriction on my working hours! I'm at a critical point, I don't have the luxury of taking time off."

"If Seto thinks you need to step back-"

"Why do you have to meddle into everything? It was fine before. Ugh! I can't believe you."

"I'm sorry, but I-"

"You know what? I don't think I can face you for the scant hours I'm allowed to work, now. The office in Sapporo has had some low numbers. I'm going to need you to go spend a while figuring them out."

"Sapporo? Mokuba-" you stopped because he had already hung up. He was really, really mad. You had thought perhaps you were overstepping, but you didn't realize he would take it so badly. Maybe you should have; you had noticed that his temper wasn't as mild as it used to be. You spent a while on the couch replaying the situation and how you might have handled it better, but it really wasn't any use. Sighing, you scratched out the previous number for Ayumu's payment and doubled it. You had made your decisions and now you would have to go to Sapporo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> A note: I find my inspiration/drive for writing this story is starting to dry up a little. As has already been proven, reader comments give me life! So please, if you liked the story enough to get this far, then leave a lil comment! It doesn't matter if it's long or short, thoughtful or just a smiley face :) I would appreciate anything. Thank youuu


	11. Opening Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Your concern for Mokuba led Seto to put him on restricted working hours. He's mad and has assigned you work in a satellite office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your lovely comments, everyone! It definitely helped; whenever I didn't feel like writing, I'd just read (and reread and reread and reread) what you said and it motivated me! Thank you for all your support.

You had the week off of work to rest your injury and prepare for your upcoming business trip. To help, an assistant had been assigned to you on a temporary status since you had restricted use of your dominant arm. She had already dropped off all of the necessary files about the Sapporo branch so you wouldn’t have to go into the office. You suspected that Mokuba was still trying to keep his distance from you. He wasn’t answering your calls or texts.

Your phone buzzed. It was a message from Hanako in the group chat. “Are you still feeling okay?”

“I’m fine,” replied Irie with a winking sticker.

“No one cares about you, Irie,” said Hanako.

He sent a crying emoji.

You started typing, “I’m doing a bit better, but I haven’t been stuck in my apartment for so long before. I’m bored.”

A minute or two went by so you sent, “Come visit me! Or let’s meet for dinner.” You sat, anxiously twiddling with your phone. They were probably busy. They wouldn’t want to come all the way just to hang out for a while. They wouldn’t—

“Where do you want to go?” asked Irie.

Another message came immediately after. “Ooh, what if we cooked at your place? I want to come over,” said Hanako.

A bubble popped up that Irie was typing, but it disappeared. Finally, “Eh~ I suppose that’s fine,” came through. Then, “Wait, do you even have things to cook with?”

You quickly checked your fridge. “I have a few essentials, but we might have to go shopping depending on what we want to make.”

“Settled!” sent Hanako with a victory sticker. “I can be there at 18:00. I’m bringing booze.”

Irie responded, “I’m on a sales call but I’ll be done early. 18:00 works.”

“See you then!” you sent, then turned and surveyed your apartment. You’d let it get a bit out of hand, so you spent the time until they arrived doing some straightening up and cleaning. It took you quite a while with one hand, but it felt good to be working instead of brooding. 

You had made up your mind to tell Hanako and Irie at least part of your story. Not the whole thing—it would be hard to explain your prior involvement with Hakato and your work for him. The official Kaiba Corporation press release painted you as a bystander who accidentally got involved and you didn’t want it to go much deeper than that. However, Irie had personally witnessed your dynamic with the Kaiba brothers and would have a lot of questions about how you got so close to them; it was obvious that yours was more than a work relationship. 

The doorbell rang while you were standing in front of your mirror practicing what you would say, so you quickly smoothed your hair into place and went to the door. Hanako and Irie were standing there together, Hanako with a pack of beer and Irie with a small present of manju from a popular store.

“Excuse me for intruding,” they chorused as they came in and removed their shoes.

Irie immediately sat at the table you’d set out and tried to look like he wasn’t looking around. Hanako went to the kitchen and started looking through your cupboards and refrigerator. “Hm,” she said, “I think we can do something with this, but we’ll probably still need to go to the store.” She turned to look at you over her shoulder. “Is there something special you want to eat?”

“I don’t have a preference,” you said, “but probably something easy to prepare with one hand.”

“No,” said Irie but Hanako cut him off.

“You’re not the one cooking! There’s no way we’d consider letting the injured person look after us.” She came over and handed you a small grocery list. “Here, with this stuff, we can make a variety of things. Since you know where the store is, you can go shopping and I’ll get started on what you already have. Irie-kun, you go with her to carry things.”

Irie gave her a thumbs up. “You got it, Hanako-chan.”

The store was a short walk away, so it didn’t take you long to get there, although Irie was highly distractible and kept stopping to point things out to you and make conversation. He was even worse inside the store; you had to call him back several times as he tried to turn down an aisle you didn’t need.

You picked up a package. “Irie-kun, do you think she meant firm or soft tofu?” you asked, but got no response. You turned to find him gazing at you. “Irie-kun.”

He started and flushed. “Sorry, I was just thinking about something.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “This is nice, isn’t it?”

“The extra-firm?” you asked, waggling the package of tofu you held.

“No, not the tofu. Just, uh, just going out like this and—and shopping. Together.”

You exchanged the extra-firm with a package of firm tofu. “It is really nice to get away from the apartment.” You scanned the list one last time. “Well, I think that’s everything. Let’s go,” you said, leading the way to the register. Irie pouted and followed, dragging his feet.

After you checked out, Irie took the bags as you tried to put your change back into your wallet. A few coins fell and the middle-aged lady behind you picked them up for you. “Thank you,” you said.

“You’re welcome, dear. Have a nice night with your boyfriend,” she said, turning back to the register. You started to correct her, but she was already asking the cashier about some promotion the store had, so you just left it and followed Irie’s bouncing gait out of the store.

“I’m home,” called Irie exuberantly as you entered your apartment.

“Welcome back,” said Hanako. She smiled knowingly at Irie. “Took your time, didn’t you?” 

“It smells really good, Hanako-chan,” you said, trying to wander into the kitchen.

Hanako caught you and steered you towards the table. “No trying to help. Sit and relax.” After you were seated she poured you a drink. “Come on, Irie-kun,” she said, hooking his arm, “I need your help.”

“I just carried the groceries up the stairs, can’t I rest?” he complained.

She pulled him to the stove and gave him a spoon. “Never. Stir, slave.” She pointed to the appropriate pot on your stove and started pulling the ingredients from the bags.

“Hanako-chan, how is work at the salon? You’re a receptionist, right?” You cringed a little hoping you were right. You probably should have asked about this earlier.

She beamed as she pulled out a knife for the tofu. “I love it, it’s not as stressful and I can talk to all sorts of people. I don’t know why I didn’t change jobs earlier; it’s not like I was particularly interested in normal office work.”

“Or particularly good at it,” added Irie. 

Hanako rounded on him. “I saved your ass more than once, Manabu Irie.”

He eyed the knife she was holding and held up his hands defensively. “Yes, my apologies, Miura-sama.”

You laughed, glad you’d worked up the courage to invite them. It was refreshing to have your apartment so lively. If only Mokuba wasn’t mad at you, and then you could have all of your friends here together. You shook off the sinking feeling in your chest; it wasn’t fair to Irie and Hanako for you to ruin your time together. 

Despite the squabbling, the dishes Hanako prepared were soon ready and everyone sat to eat together. You had such a good time eating dinner with them that you almost forgot what you meant to talk to them about. Then Hanako choked on a bite. You handed her some water and rubbed her back with your good hand as she sputtered.

“What is that?” she wheezed, pointing to the wall. You’d forgotten to take down the picture of devil Kaiba. Irie got up to look as you felt heat scorch your neck and ears.

“Hah. This is great,” said Irie, peering at it and adjusting his fake glasses. He took it down and brought it over to Hanako for a closer look. 

“Yikes,” she said, looking it over. “I know he’s a hard boss, but this is a little…”

“Did you do this before or after the party?” Irie asked.

“Before,” you said softly.

Hanako waved the picture. “The party where you were shot? What does this have to do with that?”

You shook your head. “It doesn’t have anything to do with the shooting. At the party, Kaiba-san and I just had a, uh,” you paused to consider your phrasing, “heated discussion.”

“I thought they were going were going to start throwing punches at each other,” Irie interjected. “But what is the story with you and the Kaibas? You seem unusually, uh _close_ with both of them.”

Hanako and Irie looked at you expectantly. This wasn’t exactly how you wanted to bring this up, but there was nothing for it, now. “A long time before I started at KaibaCorp, I was—no, I should,” You bit your lip and jumped right in. “I have pretty severe amnesia.” You paused for a reaction but both Irie and Hanako stared at you, waiting for you to continue. 

“I don’t remember anything about myself from a few years ago. I just woke up in a medical ward one day and no one knew there knew anything about me. Once I recovered, I didn’t have anywhere to go and my old boss took advantage of that, treating me badly and hardly paying me. I met Mokuba and he convinced Kaiba-san to bring me to Domino City for a new start. I worked and took some classes until I was qualified to secretly try for my current job. Kaiba-san doesn’t like that I hid that I was working for his company, or that I’ve become friends with Mokuba. He also thinks I’m lying about my memory, which is part of the problem; he doesn’t trust that I’m not just after their money. So, things are tense between us.”

You watched your friends anxiously. Irie was frowning at the table, probably thinking through the interactions he’d witnessed and seeing if things lined up. Hanako had a hand over her mouth and furrowed eyebrows. “I hardly know where to start. That must be really hard on you,” Hanako said, finally.

“So that’s why you never talk about yourself,” said Irie.

“I’m sorry that I kept it from you, but—"

“Oh, no, I understand,” threw in Hanako. “This is a really big thing. I’m sure you don’t want to be treated differently because of it.”

“Thank you, Hanako-chan,” you said, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. 

Irie drummed his fingers on the table. “So what are you going to do now?”

“Do? Uh, keep working? Kaiba-san and I don’t get along personally but it isn’t as terrible having him for a supervisor as I thought it would be.”

Irie shook his head. “No, I mean, what are you going to do about getting your memories back or finding your family?”

You drew back a little. “ I think at this point it’s unlikely that I’ll remember anything. And as for my family: I looked but couldn’t find any missing person reports matching my description. And without any personal information to work from, there’s not much else I can do.”

“Don’t give up yet,” said Irie. “We’ll just have to work harder. I bet with all of us working together we can figure it out.”

You let go of Hanako’s hand in order to rub your opposite shoulder. “Y-yeah.”

“Irie-kun, don’t push her. Her personal affairs aren’t our business,” scolded Hanako.

He frowned. “I’m not pushing, but I think as her friends we’re allowed to help her.”

“Just telling us about it was probably hard enough for her, so let’s leave it at that.”

Irie-kun sat back and folded his arms. Hanako drank deeply from her beer. You squirmed under the heavy mood. “Thank you both for worrying about me in your own ways. It means a lot to me. Now,” you said when they didn’t answer, “let’s try some of that manju. I’ve been thinking about it all night.” 

Irie served the manju while Hanako made tea. Gradually, the atmosphere improved and soon you were talking again as normal, although it started to get late and they had to leave. It was a weeknight, after all. Overall you were relieved at the way the night had gone. You were afraid that they would be upset at not being told sooner, or that they would interrogate you. You were lucky to have found such nice, supportive people. 

Satomi Aoki was the support person chosen for you at work while your arm healed. Normally a junior administrative assistant, she helped you get all of the materials ready for your business trip and acted as your assistant while you traveled to the Sapporo office. You were nervous about working so closely with someone in an unfamiliar environment, especially since you had not been directly in charge of anyone since starting at KaibaCorp. However, Aoki was intensely helpful and easy to get along with, although her taciturn nature and flat expressions made it hard to have casual conversations.

Mokuba may have sent you to Hokkaido on a whim, but once you inspected their information it was clear that they really did need help. Fortunately, a lot of their problems could be settled with some training and tweaking of production practices. It was time-consuming, but not difficult. 

Seto still wanted in-person reports, so after two weeks at the branch office, you and Aoki took a train back to Domino City. You arrived and made your way all the way up to the President’s office, just for Katakura to inform you that Seto was testing a game and therefore wasn’t present. 

“What am I supposed to do?” you fumed, forgetting that perhaps Aoki shouldn’t know about your unique dynamic with your boss. “Did he forget that I was coming today?”

The phone rang. Katakura glanced at the caller ID before sending it to Seto’s voicemail. “He didn’t forget. President Kaiba-san merely expects his meetings to take place wherever he happens to be,” he said, picking up the phone and dialing. “I’ll have a company car take you.”

You breathed deeply, trying to calm yourself. You hadn’t actually met with Seto since he’d kicked you out of his house. You’d had a nice reprieve, but now you needed to stay vigilant. Being out of practice might cause you to make an unprofessional mistake. You turned to Aoki. “There’s no need to go so far out of your way; go home and rest up. I can handle this much at least.”

She gazed at you levelly for a moment. “Yes. Then I will be going ahead. I’ll collect you at the train station in the morning,” she said before handing you the documents she carried. She pivoted smoothly and left.

The company car took you to the Kaiba Mansion. You’d thought that he was testing the game at a special facility, but apparently, Seto liked to know how it felt to play the game at home the way most customers would. Isono took you to an interior “gaming room” and let you in without preamble. 

Seto stood in the middle of the room, away from any furniture. He was standing still, arms crossed, wearing a virtual reality headset. It took you a moment to pick up on the minuscule movements of his hands; he was wearing an odd set of gloves. They must be the controllers.

“Excuse me, President Kaiba-san,” you said, voice wavering slightly. You wished that Isono had introduced you. You didn’t want to be the one to interrupt.

He didn’t move, other than his hands. “There’s a set on the table,” he said without turning to you. “Put it on.”

You looked beside you. There was indeed another VR set and gloves. “Uhhhh,” you said, but didn’t argue, not wanting to break this apparent geniality. You found the power switches and donned the gear. Once you slid the goggles over your eyes, you were immediately in-game. Your avatar stood in a deserted desert village, watching Seto fight an oversized djinn. 

“Heal me,” said Seto, his words appearing in the chat bar at the bottom of your vision. 

“Uh,” you said, before finding the menu with the spells. “I’m trying.” You wiggled your hands and tapped a few of the sensors on the fingers and palms of the gloves experimentally.

“Hurry up.”

Finally, you figured out the hand movement to cast and Seto’s health meter went up by half. He continued to fight and since he didn’t give you any more instructions you just watched. After he finished the battle and retrieved the iron sword and crafting materials the djinn dropped, you started to remove the headset. 

“What are you doing?” he asked, his avatar turning to you. “We’re not done.”

You readjusted the goggles. “Not that this isn’t fun, but you dragged me back from Hokkaido to have a business meeting, not play games.”

“Do both.” A notification popped up that he had just gifted you a bunch of gear. “Equip this, then give me your reports as we move to the next stage.”

You were reluctant, but it wasn’t that bad. Seto took care of most game mechanics, basically only asking you to heal him when necessary. It took a bit of time, but eventually, you were able to balance both gameplay and relaying data on the Sapporo branch. It was amazing that Seto could devote so much attention to the game and still be able to ask pertinent questions about your recent work. 

Once Seto defeated the level boss the both of you removed the gaming gear. He went over to a small writing desk in the corner and motioned to you. “Let me see your work.” You handed over the reports you had brought. You stood, trying not to look over his shoulder as he read through. 

“These are different from your usual work,” he said mid-flip.

“Yes, the assistant I was assigned typed them up,” you said, examining the VR gear you still held. You waited for a biting remark about how her work was vastly superior to what you usually brought, but none came. 

He handed the reports back to you and started pulling on his gaming gloves again. “I’ll see you again in two weeks’ time and hopefully you’ve resolved the data tracking inefficiencies by then because next, you’ll be going to the plant in Fukuoka.”

“You’re sending me off again immediately?”

Seto pulled the VR goggles on but kept them on top of his head so he could look at you. “Is that a problem?”

You’d really hoped to spend some time at home. It was hard to make up with Mokuba when you were away, but you didn’t think that Seto would like that answer. “Not for me, but my assistant. I still need some help, but she deserves to be home with her family for a while.”

“Get a different one.”

You stiffened. “No. Aoki-san does a great job and we work well together. I’m not going to let her go and risk getting a slacker next time.”

“Fine.” He slid the goggles down and started tapping the gloves again. “Take a few days between, but I’ll still expect your reports as scheduled. With the usual amount prepared.” 

So, basically, he just cared if you got the work done in time. You wanted to work on a few things at the main KaibaCorp office as well, but if he was going to keep you to the original deadline you wouldn’t be able to do it. “Thank you, Kaiba-san.” You bowed. “I will see you in two weeks.”

“Hm.”

You excused yourself, massaging your aching arm. Using the controllers hadn’t been difficult, but you weren’t used to moving your arm muscles in that way, especially since the incident. As you opened the door, your first thought was to try and find Mokuba. However, Isono was waiting for you and he swept you off to the car. He wouldn’t say whether Mokuba had instructed him to or not.

On the way home, you unpacked what happened in your meeting with Seto. Something was off about it. Obviously, you usually didn’t game while in a meeting, but that wasn’t it. He was just as harsh about your work as usual. Oh, the lack of personal insults! Usually, he indulged himself in at least a few derogatory remarks about your character but this time there was nothing. For once your work meeting with Seto only covered your actual work. 

The change in dynamic should have made you happy, but instead, you felt a little lonely. Ridiculous. It’s not like you enjoyed being insulted. You pouted in the back seat of the Kaibas’ car, trying simultaneously to figure it out and forget about it. Isono coughed. “We’re here, miss.”

You started, realizing that you were outside your apartment. “Isono-san, you were only supposed to take me to the station.”

“You seemed preoccupied, so I just took you all the way. It was no trouble, and this way I can run a small errand for Seto-sama.”

You opened the door and stepped out. “Thank you. You’re such a good person, Isono-san. I hope they appreciate you,” you said, bidding him farewell and closing the door. You turned and took a few steps before hearing the car window roll down.

“They appreciate you, too,” Isono called.

“What does that mean?” You started back towards the car, but Isono just waved and drove away. As if you weren’t already confused enough by both Kaibas’ behavior, now you had to decipher that cryptic message. “Everything about them has to be dramatic, I guess,” you muttered bitterly, trudging up the stairs.

When you reached your floor, you saw someone standing in front of your door. “Ayumu-kun?” The teenage boy you had hired to help you with Tatsu froze, caught in the action of locking your apartment. Odd, he knew you were coming back today so he shouldn’t have needed to be over. 

Ayumu’s eyebrows crinkled nervously and before you realized it he was dropping to his knees and bowing. “I am so sorry,” he said, voice thick with tears.

A bad feeling grew in your stomach. “Ayumu-kun? What’s wrong? Why are you here?”

He didn’t raise his head, but a few tears moistened the ground. “I’m so sorry about Tatsu; I know I don’t have the right to ask for your forgiveness. Please—”

You cut him off. “Ayumu-kun, what’s wrong with Tatsu?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Why is it so hard to understand one another?
> 
> I'm curious, what kind of pet is your Tatsu?


	12. Conflicting Mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Ayumu-kun apologizes about Tatsu! What's happened to him?!

“Ayumu-kun, did something happen to Tatsu?” you asked again when he didn’t answer you. You knelt down in front of him. “Talk to me.”

“I- I forgot to feed him,” he blurted out, finally raising his head. “It was just once, but I feel awful. I’ll understand if you don’t want me to look after him anymore.”

You relaxed a little. “But is he okay?”

“Oh! Yes, he seems fine.”

You rubbed your forehead. “Ayumu-kun, next time start with that. You had me really worried! Now get up,” you said, fishing out your own key. You greeted Tatsu as normal and looked him over. He was just as he always was. 

You could feel Ayumu fretting behind you. “It was just one small mistake,” you said, cradling Tatsu as you turned. “If you’re this upset by it, then just make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

He looked at you as if you were an angel. “You mean I can still look after him? Thank you very much! It won’t happen again, I promise.” He beamed, reached out a hand and stroked Tatsu lightly. “I would have missed my little friend.”

“What about your mom, though? She keeps the key, wouldn’t she have noticed that you didn’t ask for it at the scheduled time?”

He ducked his head sheepishly. “She did notice, but let me figure out the mistake on my own to teach me more responsibility. I’m sure if I hadn’t remembered today she would have reminded me.”

“She’s a smart woman. Now, about your pay: I don’t have the cash now, but I’ll be sure to have it on my next return trip in two weeks.”

Ayumu looked up sharply and held up a hand. “You don’t need to pay me for this time. Really,” he said when you opened your mouth, “I can’t accept it this time.” 

You studied him, but his eyes were clear and determined so you relented. He had a strong pride, even though you knew his mom couldn’t afford to give him much allowance, which is why you paid him so well. You had enough cash to spare. You had never moved from this apartment, even though you could now afford a better one. It suited you fine for just you and Tatsu, and besides, it had special sentimental value since it was your first home.

You didn’t get to enjoy it much now, though. Between Sapporo and Fukuoka, it didn’t serve as much more than a hotel. Even the few days’ reprieve you’d wrung from Seto was spent almost entirely at the KaibaCorp main office, doing paperwork and making sure that trip expenses were being reimbursed. Thankfully, after you’d finished up with Fukuoka it was Golden Week. 

You wanted to spend the first half of your vacation lazing around, but traveling had consequences and various chores and errands vied for your attention. Mokuba, on the other hand, was still avoiding you. Hanako had to work so you wouldn’t see her either. You were, however, meeting up with Irie again mid-week, so it wasn’t all bad.

The weather was beautiful the day you arranged to hang out. You left early on your way to the meeting spot just to take your time and enjoy it. You gazed at the trees wistfully; you had missed Cherry Blossom season. Your work trips had taken you to each location at the wrong time for the full bloom and in between, you’d been too busy to go flower viewing. 

Irie was already waiting at your meeting spot. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” you said, jogging the last few feet. 

He looked up and smiled broadly. “You look cute today.”

“Oh. Thanks.” You tugged on your hem slightly, a little embarrassed. “Do you want to start with some tea?”

“Actually, I thought we’d go ahead and start at the library,” he said, leading the way to the building.

You followed him into the research department. “Is there something you want to look for?” you asked, scanning over a nearby shelf of books on the history of Domino City.

“Actually, I want to look for you,” he said, pulling out a chair and sitting at one of the research computers.

You froze. “This is about my lost memories?”

“Well, yes. I just thought that it would be hard to look for this stuff on your own.” He turned to smile at you. “I want to help you.”

“Irie-kun,” you said, avoiding his eyes. “I appreciate the thought, but I’ve moved on. There’s no need to go dragging it out, looking for something that isn’t there.” 

The computer finally woke up and Irie started typing. “It’s no trouble, really. And don’t you want to know who you are? I mean, what about your family?”

Irie wasn’t wrong. The cloud shrouding your past has always loomed ominously behind you. Sometimes you dreamed about your life being consumed by smoke and erased. He was trying to help you the best way he knew how, so you relented and sat at the computer next to him, firing up the old police record database you’d used before.

“So, how long ago would you have gone missing?” asked Irie.

You did the calculations again, although you had no idea exactly how long you’d been under Hakato’s care before you woke up. “Maybe three to five years,” you muttered. Irie glanced at you out of the corner of his eye, but he didn’t ask any questions about giving him a range instead of an exact timeframe.

Like you had before, you entered keywords about your description in the search tab, hoping to find a missing person’s report. A lot of items came up, but nothing you hadn’t already looked through before. 

Irie clicked through a few search results. “Why didn’t you go to the police when you woke up?”

You swallowed and played with the computer mouse. “My boss from that time… was part of a gang. I had no idea if I’d be implicated in any crimes. And if they thought I was informing on them, they would absolutely hunt me down.”

He chuckled uncomfortably, probably hoping that you were joking. “If we could just narrow the search… Wait,” said Irie, tapping the desk. “You said you came to Domino City for a fresh start, so that means you weren’t living here before.”

“Yes, there’s a nonzero chance that I used to live here, but I could be from almost anywhere in Japan. Probably just Japan.”

“What about the facility where you woke up? Wouldn’t you have lived close to there?” 

You shifted. “It was in a small community in Tohoku. It’s a good assumption, but I don’t have the accent or dialect. It’s not like the amnesia couldn’t have erased those things, but if that were so, wouldn’t I have picked it back up by living there? No, I think I came from somewhere else, but that doesn’t narrow it down much.”

He turned to scrutinize you. “Yes, I can see that. Hmm, you really can’t remember anything at all?”

“Nothing.” 

“You’re not being very helpful; I bet you’d talk about this with Mokuba-san,” he muttered.

You glanced at him sharply. “Where did that come from? And no, I don’t talk about this with Mokuba. He,” you emphasized, “doesn’t pry.”

“Prying? I can’t help you if I don’t have all the information.” He pushed the keyboard away. “How can you be so relaxed about this? You have no idea who you are, don’t you feel empty and lonely?” 

Tension rose immediately throughout your body, “Of course I do. How could you ever, ever think otherwise? I think about it all the time, whether I want to or not.” Irie stared at you, stricken. 

You spoke tersely, yet quietly. “I’ve already spent so much time looking, Irie-kun. So much time. What else did I have to do when I was living in an internet café? There’s nothing out there; there’s no one looking for me.”

You closed out of your search results, hand shaking. “And what’s the best that could happen? That I had a happy, loving family that I parted with on good terms and somehow they’re okay with never hearing from me again? Right. What’s more likely is that we had a falling out, or that I had no family at all. Either way, my past is not a happy one. It’s gone, in any case, so what’s the use in dwelling?”

“I know you’re doing this because you care, Irie, but I’ve already told you that I don’t want to do this right now.” You logged out of the computer. “I had hoped you’d want to hang out with the current me and not get hung up on who I was in the past.” You stood and gathered your bag. 

“I’m sorry—” began Irie.

You didn’t have the patience to hear him out. “I guess it was a mistake to tell you about it. Goodbye, Irie-san.” You left and he didn’t stop you.

Once outside, you tried to call Mokuba again. It went to voicemail. “Mokuba, I know you’re still mad at me, but I really need to talk to you about something. Please,” your voice cracked, so you cleared your throat. “Please call me back.”

Next, you dialed the number of the salon where Hanako worked. “PICA Salon, how may I help you?” she answered.

“Hanako-chan, can I come to talk to you? I—I can come get my hair done if you—if that would be better. I probably need to be pampered a little.”

“Of course! Michiko has an opening soon, so I’ll get you in for a wash and shampoo with the works. Come on over.”

You fished a tissue out of your bag. “Thanks, Hanako.”

PICA was a small family salon, out of the way of normal foot traffic. Even so, there were several customers already in chairs when you arrived, and a couple waiting. Hanako got up to greet you when you walked in. “Hey, Michiko’s all ready for you in the back. Go get washed and then I’ll be able to take my break and talk to you while you get styled.”

Michiko was a young stylist-in-training, which was why she didn’t have any customers at the moment. You didn’t mind her inexperience. The water was the perfect temperature and she was very gentle as she washed your hair. She didn’t try to chat with you, which was fine. The gentle scalp massage helped you to clear your mind and sort through your feelings. 

After she finished, she brought you up to a stylist’s chair and started to comb. Hanako stepped away from the front desk and sat in a chair near yours in order to pull the whole situation from you. She listened quietly, for once, letting you get through the whole deal with Irie without interrupting you. 

“Well,” she said, “I think you were right to walk out on him. I told him to let you take the lead on things regarding your amnesia.” She sighed. “Irie-kun just wants to be your hero.”

“I got to be where I am in KaibaCorp without a hero, so I think I’m good.” Michiko interrupted briefly to ask about neatening up the ends of your hair and you assented.

Hanako raised an eyebrow. “What about the Kaibas? You don’t consider them your heroes? Irie-kun says that you’re especially close with Mokuba-san.”

“Not right now; things are tense between us. And Kaiba-san’s really the one who got me out of my bad situation, but I don’t consider him my hero. More like an… adversary. Although, he has been weird recently.”

Hanako leaned forward. “Weird?”

“He used to pick fights with me for no reason, but the last few times I’ve seen him, it’s been all business. It doesn’t feel right.”

“Hm,” Hanako mused, hand on her chin, “And when did this start?”

You frowned, thinking back. “I guess after I was shot? Why, what are you thinking?”

“Well, he might feel a little guilty. You did get shot because of him,” she said. 

While not strictly true, because Hakato had chosen to shoot you in the end, Seto himself had said that you weren’t his original target. You hadn’t considered guilt before. “Maybe.”

“But what I’m most interested in is that you don’t like it. After all, wouldn’t his change in attitude be a good thing? Unless you miss being treated specially.”

What was so special about being blackmailed? “What? I don’t miss it. That’s absurd.”

Hanako just smiled enigmatically, but you lost your chance to convince her because Michiko started to blow dry your hair.

After Golden Week ended, you needed to go to Nagoya. This trip was more difficult than the previous ones. Not only were some of the problems much harder to address, but you were worn out as well. Hanako and Aoki were the only people you had a good relationship with anymore. It was hard to coordinate with Hanako and you had a strictly professional relationship with Aoki, so really you couldn’t confide in anyone. You started to have headaches every day and your energy levels sagged. 

On the train back to Domino City for your biweekly meeting, you slept most of the way. When you were almost at your stop, Aoki woke you up gently. “Katakura-san just informed me that President Kaiba-san is out of the country.” You sat up straight, frowning. “He has requested that you leave your reports at his home office.”

“Of course, he would,” you grumbled. You leaned your aching head against the cool train window. Just like him to expect you to drag yourself all the way back even though you wouldn’t actually be meeting.

Aoki looked at you intently. “Forgive me, perhaps I have not been as helpful as I should have been these last weeks if you’re that fatigued. I can take the reports if you’d like to go home first.”

You smiled wanly. “Thank you, Aoki-san, but I’ll be fine. Besides, your sister is waiting for you at home, right?”

The faintest blush came across her cheeks. “Yes. Thank you for taking us into consideration. Hitomi’s already in University, but I do worry about her being by herself.” One of the few personal things you’d been able to learn about Aoki was that she lived with her sister who had come to Domino City to go to school.

“If you ever need time to go back home to Kanazawa just let me know. Your help has been invaluable, but I want to make sure you’re taking enough time for yourself.”

Aoki didn’t say anything, but you could tell that she wanted to return your words. You shifted to a more comfortable position and closed your eyes again until you reached your stop. Aoki’s sister was there to meet her. She didn’t look a lot like Aoki, but she did share the reserved personality. When you were introduced she gave you a deep bow and thanked you very sincerely for looking after her sister. The two girls left and, hoping to get it over with, you turned to catch a different train that would take you to the Kaiba mansion.

The nearest station to the Kaiba residence was still quite far, so you went ahead and hired a cab for the rest of the way. You could probably get the company to cover it and you were not in the mood to walk. Apparently, it was this driver’s first time going, although the location was famous in his cab company. He wouldn’t stop talking about it, which was fine because he didn’t expect you to answer.

Finally, you arrived and you got out of the cab gratefully. After telling the driver to wait for you— you were only dropping off files, after all— you knocked on the door briskly. 

A harried Izumi wrenched the door open. “Oh, miss, thank goodness it’s you. Come in,” she said, pulling you inside. “Please do something, miss. Mokuba won’t listen to me, and with Isono gone with the Master I don’t know who else can stop him.”

“Stop him? Izumi-san, what’s happening with Mokuba? Is he okay?”

She wrung her hands. “He’s fine physically, but I think he’s in over his head. It will be easier to show you.” Izumi lead you back through the house. As you went further in, gradually you began to pick up music. Soon you could see where you were headed; a set of double doors at the end of the hall were open and the sound was spilling out of it.

You peeked inside. It was a large room for entertaining, the outside wall covered in large windows and glass doors that led out to a courtyard and pool. Several teenagers, all older than Mokuba, lounged around taking advantage of the room’s amenities and leaving trash everywhere. There were even a few bottles that looked like alcohol. Mokuba was sitting in the middle of the group, a few of the kids crowded around him as he showed them something that looked like it normally stood behind protective glass. All together it did not seem like a situation Seto would approve of.

“Hey, let me hold it,” said one of the boys, holding out a hand.

Mokuba grasped it a little tighter. “I don’t think so, it isn’t even supposed to be out of the case.”

“Izumi-san,” you said quietly, “please tell my cab driver not to wait anymore.” You handed her your coin purse. She left immediately and you squared your shoulders. This wouldn’t be fun.

You strode confidently into the room. The group didn’t notice you as you approached, being engrossed in the loud music and the object Mokuba held. It was an expensive replica of the blue-eyes white dragon, covered in crystals with what looked like real sapphire eyes.

“Come on,” said a girl who draped herself across Mokuba’s shoulders, being sure to press her chest against him. “He won’t hurt it.”

Mokuba, despite being obviously flustered, frowned. “No, I’m going to put it back.” He started to rise, but the one who had asked to hold it pushed him back down.

“We’re supposed to be friends, right? I’m just going to hold it a little, then you can have it back, I promise.” He reached for the replica.

Mokuba looked like he was going to waver, so you stepped close enough to get their attention. “Pardon the interruption, Vice-President Mokuba-san,” you said primly, your eyes on Mokuba alone. He didn’t seem upset to see you here, which was a relief. One of the teenagers paused the music.

The lead boy sneered at you while others in the group glared. “Hey, Mokuba, you seem to be having a real problem with your help. Tell this one to go away like the other one.”

Your eyes snapped to his and you felt him pause. “I have something vital to discuss with the Vice-President. Little children who don’t know their place don’t belong here. I suggest you leave before you are forced.”

He scoffed, but he didn’t meet your eyes. “Yeah, right. As long as Mokuba says we can stay the cops can’t do anything. Right, Mokuba?” He slung an arm around Mokuba’s shoulders, forcing the girl back a little.

You let your lips curl, but kept your eyes cold. “I wasn’t talking about the police. Don’t you know about our private, ah” you paused for effect, “security force? I’d like to say that they will go easy on kids, but since they operate outside the law, who knows?”

A couple of the other kids murmured amongst themselves; apparently, they’d heard the rumors of the Kaibas’ mafia involvement. The leader looked a little pale. “Who even are you, you don’t have the authority to do that. Right? Mokuba?”

Mokuba didn’t answer him, but stood up and addressed you instead. “That won’t be necessary this time,” he said authoritatively. “Go wait for me in my office, I’ll be there momentarily.” Trading a meaningful glance, you bowed sharply and turned toward the door.

You heard him sigh as you left. “Sorry, guys, but I’ll have to handle this now. With Seto gone I’m the one that has to take care of all these worthless employees. We’ll meet up again later, yeah? I’ll get my guy to take you home.”

When you left the room you didn’t know where to go, so you just went back down the hallway where you met Izumi. She led you to Seto’s office so you could actually drop off the files, then to Mokuba’s home office. It was a mess. Clearly, Seto’s work restrictions didn’t apply in here because there were stacks of work documents and a whiteboard covered in notes. You had to move a box of files just to sit down. Izumi brought you some tea.

You had almost finished your drink before Mokuba entered, looking exhausted. You clenched the cup nervously. He hadn’t looked angry at your interference before, but maybe that was due to the situation.

Mokuba didn’t say anything and he didn’t look at you. You fidgeted, wanting to talk to him, but also not wanting to say the wrong thing and set him off again. He sat down in his chair and cleared off a small space. A small tickle scratched your throat, so you sipped the cold remainder of your tea to keep from coughing.

“I’m still not happy with you,” he said once the papers on his desk were in some sort of order. “But I feel like I owe you an explanation for what just happened.” He kept his eyes averted as he spoke, voice cold.

“Since being forced to spend more time at school, those guys have gone out of their way to befriend me. I’m usually wary of people like that, but they were pretty apathetic about my social status. It wasn’t until they learned that Seto was gone that they started putting pressure on me. I hadn’t realized how far they were going to take it until today. I see now that they intended to use me from the start. I admit that even then, I was reluctant to put them off completely. So,” he glanced at you briefly, “I have to thank you for helping me to put an end to the situation.”

“Of course,” you said hesitantly. “I’m sorry that you had to go through that.”

“I’m used to it, they just caught me off guard.”

“It still doesn’t feel good when someone you thought was your friend does something like—”

“No, it doesn’t.” The way he clipped his words let you know he was talking about you.

“It also isn’t nice when a friend ignores you when you have a problem instead of just talking it out. Especially when you really need them.”

He scoffed, but he looked a little uncomfortable. “You don’t need me.”

“I need you!” You stood and leaned over the desk. “You’re the only one who has known exactly what I am from the beginning and accepted me without condition. I need you to be the place I can turn to when I have no place of my own.”

Mokuba finally looked at you, eyes wide at your outburst. You continued, “You have looked out for me and cared about me from the beginning. I just tried to pay that back to you. I’m sorry that it turned out this way. I’m sorry that I got in the way of your ambitions. I will do whatever I need to in order to make it right. You can be mad at me. You can send me away to work in satellite offices forever. Just don’t ignore me anymore, please?” Your voice cracked. “Don’t abandon me. Please?”

Mokuba clasped his hands tightly. “I know you didn’t mean to sabotage me. I know you’re sorry about it. But I still feel so angry about it. And I thought maybe, when I was hanging out with my classmates, that I could see where you were coming from. But then these guys—” he stopped himself. “With what these guys pulled, and the deadline I missed,” he gestured at a stack of papers, “I’m not ready to forgive you yet. We can’t be normal. Not yet.” He swallowed hard and looked up at your face. “But I can promise not to shut you out completely anymore. Alright?”

It wasn’t everything you wanted, but it gave you hope for the future. “Thank you, Mokuba.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayumu-kun is a good kid! Please forgive him (and me.)
> 
> Next time: Spending "quality time" with Seto!


	13. Hot and Bothered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isono calls and asks for a favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Irie screwed up. You and Mokuba kind of made-up

As a sign of leniency, Mokuba allowed you to stay in Domino City for a while, although you would need to go back to Nagoya a few times in the next few months to make sure everything you’d tried to change actually took effect. The break from traveling was very welcome. You were behind on many things, both personal and professional. The hardest part was trying to accomplish everything on your own. Your arm improved enough that you had released Aoki back to her regular work. 

It also seemed that the stress you were under had helped prop you up because as soon as you relaxed a little you got sick. It was just a minor cold, but you stayed home anyway. Hanako stopped by to take care of you, Irie sending some fruit with her. He had contacted you a few times and while you didn’t ignore him completely, you made it clear that you still wanted space. Even Mokuba sent you a small bouquet of flowers and a sarcastic note congratulating you on finally learning to take care of yourself. 

You recovered from your illness just in time for the weekend, so you were enjoying a day home with Tatsu when you got a call from an unknown number. “Hello?” you answered.

“Thank goodness. Tell me, Miss, are you at home right now?”

“Isono-san? I’m home; is something the matter?” You heard some murmuring behind him and Seto’s distinct—and highly annoyed—tones.

“It’ll be easier to tell you in person. Please come meet us at Rintama station.” He hung up quickly.

You dithered. You didn’t want to spend your day off with Seto, but at the same time, Isono sounded stressed. Isono had been very nice to you and deserved your help. Once you reached a decision, you made one check to make sure you were presentable and left.

Rintama was only one stop away from your apartment so you’d barely had any time to speculate about what was going on before you got there. Upon arrival, it was easy to spot them from the crowd, even though they stood in an out-of-the-way corner. Isono was looking around frantically and Seto brooded behind him.

“Isono-san,” you called, hurrying over. “What’s wrong?”

He relaxed when he saw you. “Thank you for coming! You see, the car has broken down and needs to be towed to the shop. I shall have to go with it. Please see Seto-sama home.” 

“Uh,” you said.

“I said I don’t need her,” growled Seto. “I do know how to take the train.”

“Yes, but just in case. Besides,” said Isono, pulling a facemask out of a pocket and handing it to Seto, “you should go incognito and you’ll be less conspicuous with a companion, you serial bachelor.” Seto took the mask but didn’t look convinced. “You’re lucky we broke down so close to her apartment.”

Not sure that you understood what was happening, you tried to buy some time. “What’s wrong with the car?”

“Just a little sabotage, nothing to be worried about, but it will take some time to fix,” said Isono flippantly, taking Seto’s eye-catching jacket and folding it carefully. “We came back early to surprise Mokuba-sama so we can’t call anyone from the estate or he’ll find out. And Seto-sama detests cabs. You would be doing us a great favor.” 

“Well,” you said, as Isono looked at you hopefully, “I guess I don’t mind going if it’s a favor to you, Isono-san.” 

He beamed. “Wonderful. I really appreciate your help.” 

Seto glowered. “I don’t need it, but I suppose I won’t stop you from tagging along.” He acted like he disliked Isono’s fretting, but he dutifully put on the mask, a hat, and a pair of sunglasses. He looked a bit like a suspicious person in his dark clothes and stereotypical disguise.

You didn’t seem to do much to make Seto more inconspicuous. Although he and Isono had done a decent job of hiding all the obvious giveaways that he was the famed CEO, Seto still attracted a lot of attention. His height and build were an issue, sure, but the surliness combined with the face mask drew several concerned looks from people in the station as you waited for your train. He had taken off the sunglasses once inside, so his sharp gaze was clearly visible, warning off everyone. It didn’t help that this was the busiest part of the day. 

There were a few times that someone seemed to recognize Seto. They would stare and whisper before surreptitiously raising their phones for a picture. You tried to combat this by looking directly at them and letting them know you saw them taking photos without permission. The looks he received by people who thought that he was suspicious you smoothed over by occasionally mentioning that sickness that had been going around. Seto didn’t say anything, choosing to ignore you and your efforts to protect his privacy.

Finally, the train heading in the direction of the station nearest Seto’s home arrived. You didn’t make much of an effort to make conversation once you’d boarded. Not liking the silence in line, you’d tried asking him about his trip, but he shot a sharp glare at you and told you it wasn’t your business. 

At first, the train was merely full, but as you passed more stops it started to get crowded. You hadn’t even gotten seats when you first boarded, but now it was so packed that you no longer had a ring or a bar to hold onto. Instead, you were pressed upon on all sides by people, including, you realized, Seto. You pushed with all your might against the strangers on the other side to avoid touching him, but one solid lurch made you lose your balance, the people around you moving to fill the gap. He grunted when you slammed into him. “Watch it,” he said above you.

Despite your efforts, you could not back away and were stuck, tucked into his chest. “Sorry. I should have suggested we take a later train. Although, it may not have been any better,” you mumbled. Seto smelled amazing, though. You took a deep, slow breath, trying to hide the fact that you were sniffing him.

You felt the faint vibration in his chest as he growled in frustration. “Wait,” he said, leaning over you and manipulating you through the crush of people a few inches. Finally, he reached what he was aiming for: the support bars for the end of the seats. The train stopped and in the flow of people moving off and coming onto the train, he was able to win a few inches of space by pushing against the bars. You breathed a little easier as the pressure eased; surprisingly, you were inside the space he formed within his arms.

Somehow, this was more embarrassing than when you were pushed into each other. Maybe because you could see him better, though there were hardly three inches between you. Hanako’s words about wanting to feel special bounced annoyingly around your head. You tried to focus on clearing it, but somehow thoughts about the broad chest in front of you kept barging in. Despite his personality, Seto was a very attractive man and suddenly that was all you could think about. 

It didn’t help that, because it was so full, the train was also very hot. Seto leaned his face down close to you and grudgingly said something.

You had been highly distracted and so hadn’t caught it. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

He frowned. “Take off my mask,” he said slowly.

“Sorry?” 

He clicked his tongue. “My mask. It’s hard to breathe. Take it off.” He indicated his arms, straining against the crowd behind him. “I can’t do it.”

You reached up slowly, hooking the top edge of the mask on either side of his face with the gentlest of fingers, trying not to touch him. Removing the mask completely might mean touching Seto’s ears and hair, so to avoid that intimacy you just slid the center down over his nose and underneath his strong chin. You’d never seen Seto’s face so closely. He had the slightest bit of exhaustion hanging beneath his eyes, though their intensity was undiminished. He was flushed, probably with heat and effort. You realized that your hands were lingering by his face and snatched them back. Seto raised his eyebrows and smirked at you before straightening. You could breathe a little easier, but your face burned with embarrassment.

The train seemed to move more slowly than ever. Finally, you heard the announcement that your stop was coming up. You tried to determine the nature of the twinge in your chest that appeared at the news.

At your stop, you both exited the train at high speed and kept up that pace until you were well out of the station. Then, caught by a sudden downpour, you veered to one side, aiming for a group of sheltered vending machines. 

Once under shelter, Seto muttered and took out his phone, probably to check the weather. You sighed over your wet clothes and fished a few coins from your pocket. “Here, before you put that mask back on,” you said, handing him a drink from the machine. “Thanks.”

He didn’t need clarification on what the thanks was for. Seto examined the can briefly before opening it and downing it in one go. The rain stopped as suddenly as it started. “Let’s get moving,” he said, crushing the can. “I’ve wasted enough time on this already.”

“I know Isono-san said that you don’t like cabs, but the mansion is a pretty long walk from here. Don’t you think that this once—”

“No.” Seto pulled the mask back up and set off in the direction of his home. You scrambled to catch up with his long strides. Every now and then you’d lag behind, cursing that you hadn’t been busy today before hustling to catch up. 

On one of your slower stints, Seto stopped and turned to watch you jog towards him. “I don’t need your help. If it’s too much to handle then just go back.”

You took a deep breath so you wouldn’t have to pant as you answered. “I’m not doing it for you, I’m doing it for Isono-san. I know he’d feel better if I went with you all the way, so that’s what I’m doing.”

“Suit yourself. But I’m not slowing down my pace just to match yours.” He turned and started walking as fast as ever. You stuck your tongue out at Seto’s back. Even if his guilt mellowed out his hostility towards you, you were far from getting along. Seto was physically attractive, to be sure, but with the personality of a cactus, it was no wonder that he was perpetually single.

If he even wanted a relationship. You thought back to what you’d heard about him as you walked. There were no rumors and no speculation that Seto had had any relationship with any man or woman. Obviously, he was still pretty young for a CEO, but eventually, he would be expected to get married and start a family in order to pass on the business. Unless he planned on Mokuba fulfilling that role. Mokuba was working hard to succeed within KaibaCorp and he was already more sociable than Seto. It wasn’t too ridiculous. 

Finally, with labored breathing on your part, you reached the Kaiba Mansion. Seto strode towards a side entrance and down a damp pea gravel path. You probably didn’t really need to stay with Seto now that he was on the Kaiba grounds, but you were a bit curious about how the reunion would go since surely Mokuba was as angry with Seto as he was with you. Seto wasn’t telling you not to come, so you continued trailing along.

The path led you through the garden towards the house. Thankfully, Seto seemed to be going a bit slower here, checking his phone as he walked, and you caught your breath enough to fully enjoy the garden. Most of the plants were in full bloom, each bud adorned with raindrop jewels. Fountains burbled soothingly. You made note of a few niches where you wanted to return with a book and a warm beverage. Right now you had no idea if you’d be able to do such a thing, but if Mokuba ever forgave you enough to allow it you wanted to remember where to go. 

Mokuba should have been home from school already, so Seto breezed through a few domestic rooms and headed towards what you projected to be Mokuba’s home office. He had picked up the pace again and you lagged behind, this time making no effort to catch up. They deserved to be reunited without a third party standing right behind them.

Seto did not go to Mokuba’s home office but instead turned down the hallway towards the room Mokuba had hosted those teenagers in before. You got more nervous the closer you got. Mokuba had made it sound like he wasn’t going to get involved with those kids anymore, but what if they pressured him again? It didn’t help that you started to hear voices from down the hall.

“Kaiba-san,” you stage-whispered without thinking. “Wait.” He looked over his shoulder at you which slowed him enough that you could catch up. He looked at you expectantly.

You weren’t sure what to say. Grasping for something to keep him from continuing on, you said, “Wait, are you sure you should just, uh, surprise him like this? I mean, he’s a teenage boy, right? You aren’t supposed to just walk in on teenage boys without warning, right? Mokuba wouldn’t be the type to, but what if, what if—”

Seto’s eyes narrowed. “What are you suggesting?”

Your face could not have been redder. “Not that Mokuba would, of course, but you know what if he’s, uh, engaged in activities that, um, we wouldn’t necessarily want to see…”

“Then leave,” replied Seto. “I don’t even know why you’re still here.” He turned and continued on, but when he reached the door he stopped short. You followed anxiously and peered into the room.

Mokuba was sitting on the same couch again, but this time he was with a boy that wasn’t part of the group from the other day. Together they leaned over a book. 

“Here,” said Mokuba, pointing at a page, “it’s _aurum est potestates.”_

Seto stepped forward, saying, “That’s _aurum est potestas._ ”

Mokuba, on instinct at Seto’s voice, stood up immediately, but it took a second for the realization to hit him. Once it did, he ran to meet Seto and slammed into him full-force. “Seto, what are you doing back early?” Mokuba asked, slightly muffled inside Seto’s hug.

“Surprising you, of course.” Seto smiled softly. The hug continued even as Mokuba started to ask Seto about his trip. Clearly, Mokuba didn’t blame Seto at all for his work ban.

__As sweet as the scene was, you did feel a little awkward. The kid still on the couch must think it was even worse. Maybe knowing you were also a spectator would help him feel better; you sidled around the hugging brothers and stood next to him._ _

__Unlike with you, Seto actually answered his brother’s questions. Miffed, you crossed your arms and tried not to pout. Obviously, Seto would always take precedence with Mokuba, but he hadn’t even noticed that you were there, too._ _

__Seto, almost seeming to read your mind, glanced at you and smirked, clearly enjoying Mokuba’s attention. How could this guy turn such a tender moment into an opportunity to rankle you? Truly, Seto had a gift for annoying people. You made a rude gesture at him before noticing Mokuba’s friend looking at you. You dropped your hand, embarrassed._ _

__“I wouldn’t do that,” he said. It took you a moment to realize that it wasn’t a criticism about you, but a statement about himself. “Kaiba-kun’s brother intimidates me. You must know them pretty well.”_ _

__“Not especially, but I guess our relationship is a bit abnormal,” you said. “Are you here to study with Mokuba?”_ _

__He shifted, sliding the book behind him slightly so you couldn’t see what it was. “Kinda.”_ _

__Suspicious, you opened your mouth to press him but were interrupted by Mokuba saying your name. He had finally noticed you. He freed himself from Seto and came over. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Aren’t you still sick?” Peering at your complexion and damp hair, he put a hand on your forehead to check for fever._ _

__It was your turn to grin wickedly at Seto, whose expression soured. “I’ve recovered,” you said to Mokuba. “Isono-san had to do something, so he asked me to escort your brother home. I couldn’t say no to Isono-san.”_ _

__Seto glared. “Aren’t you two supposed to be fighting?”_ _

__“We talked it out,” you said archly. He clicked his tongue at you. Is he disappointed that you aren’t arguing with Mokuba? Is that why he let you tag along?_ _

__Mokuba pressed his lips together and looked at you askance. “So, you came with Seto, but not by car, right?”_ _

__“How did you know?”_ _

__“You’re flushed. Seto made you walk from the station and you,” he squinted accusingly, “tried to keep up with him. And let me guess, you never mentioned your recent sickness.”_ _

__You bit your lip. “You’re a bit too perceptive, Mokuba. But, I mentioned it.”_ _

__Mokuba looked to Seto for confirmation. Seto shrugged. “She said that a lot of people had been sick lately, not that she, specifically, had been ill.” You thought he hadn’t been listening to you! You glared and he ignored you, looking at something on his phone._ _

__“It was just a small cold,” you said to Mokuba’s furrowed eyebrows. “I would have been fine even if I were still sick, which I’m not.”_ _

__“But more importantly,” you said quickly, “who is this?” Everyone turned to look at the boy on the couch, even as he shrank a little and refused to meet anyone’s eyes._ _

__“It’s alright, Yonebayashi-kun,” said Mokuba. “He’s a friend in my class. He wanted to reference a book, but the library didn’t have it. I remembered that we did and invited him over.”_ _

__Yonebayashi bowed slightly, still sitting. Seto looked him over apathetically. “We have a lot to discuss, Mokuba,” said Seto. “Send him home. Perhaps the girl can take him; she’s a pretty good escort.” The contempt in his voice turned the compliment into an insinuation._ _

__You wanted to respond but didn’t think it appropriate to remind him that you weren’t a prostitute in front of Mokuba’s friend. Instead, you forced a kind smile onto your face and turned to Yonebayashi. “I don’t mind,” you said encouragingly. He looked at you but didn’t respond._ _

__“Sorry, Yonebayashi-kun, but you really should go. You can take the book with you if you like. Here, I’ll ask Izumi to get a bag for it,” said Mokuba going over to a phone and talking into it for a moment._ _

__Seto looked at you. “I don’t care if you go with the kid or not, but you’re leaving now. I’ll have you reimbursed for the train fare.”_ _

__“Don’t need it,” you said petulantly, but Seto was already halfway out of the room. “I suppose that’s as close as I’ll ever get to a ‘thank you.’”_ _

__Izumi came in with a towel and a small paper bag. Yonebayashi took the bag from her and shoved the book inside quickly as if to prevent anyone from seeing it. Izumi didn’t blink, merely turning to present you with the towel._ _

__Mokuba ran a hand over his face. “I’ll walk you two out. I’m sorry I can’t do more, but Seto won’t wait for long.”_ _

__Yonebayashi shrugged and you shook your head lightly as you dried your hair. “That’s fine, Mokuba,” you said, following him out and down the halls. Surprisingly, Mokuba took you to the garage._ _

__“Seto walked because there was something up with the car again, right?” he said when he saw your confused look. “The car we brought from school was fine, so you can take that home instead of walking all the way back. Don’t,” he said, holding up a hand when you were about to protest. “You aren’t well. Just go home.”_ _

__“Thanks, Mokuba,” you said meekly. He just sighed and turned away. He still wasn’t being very friendly, despite his concern over your health._ _

__Once you and Yonebayashi were in the car and on your way, you let out a huge sigh of your own. Truthfully, you were worn out, but not just because of the physical exertion. You noticed Yonebayashi watching you out of the corner of his eye._ _

__“So,” you asked gently, “are you and Mokuba in the same class?”_ _

__He clutched the bag he held. “Yeah.”_ _

__You waited for a moment but he didn’t elaborate. “I’m curious, what’s Mokuba like in school?”_ _

__Yonebayashi glanced at you quickly before looking back out the car window. “I don’t know.”_ _

__You leaned around trying to look at his face better, but he just turned his head even more. “Really?” At this angle, you could see his reflection in the window. He looked like he was hiding something._ _

__“Kaiba-kun wouldn’t want me to say,” he said finally, caving to your pressure._ _

__“Yonebayashi-kun, if it’s something serious it’s better to tell someone. I have a close relationship with them, remember? I just want to make sure that he’s okay.”_ _

__He finally turned to look at you, chewing the inside of his cheek. “Kaiba-kun was hanging out with this group of delinquents at school, but now he won’t and they’re spreading rumors about him,” he said in a rush. “They say that he extorted them and that they were threatened by his yakuza mistress.”_ _

__That was quite a twisting of events. Guilt settled into your chest. If Mokuba was being bullied because of how you handled the situation you witnessed…_ _

__Yonebayashi continued, “Not everyone believes them, but a lot of people are avoiding him now so they don’t attract that group’s attention themselves.” The bag with Mokuba’s book inside crinkled under his fingers. “Kaiba-kun acts like it doesn’t bother him, but I don’t know why he’d talk to someone like me otherwise.”_ _

__“Are you worried about the attention Mokuba might bring you?”_ _

__He swallowed hard and wouldn’t look you in the eyes. “It’s scary, but I’m used to it. They never liked me to begin with.”_ _

__“Well,” you said, “I’m certain that Mokuba wouldn’t bother to make friends with you unless he really wanted to get to know you. But if you’re concerned about that group, just talk to him about it. Mokuba will understand, I’m sure.”_ _

__Yonebayashi just looked out the window and didn’t say anything for the rest of the trip. When Mokuba’s driver dropped you off at the station he went the opposite direction, only giving you a small bow as a farewell._ _

__Thankfully, rush hour was past and the trains were no longer full. You closed your eyes on the trip back but didn’t sleep. You didn’t feel very good anymore; a headache and an aching arm competed with guilt for top irritant, but you were the one who lost. There was too much going on, lately. If only life could settle down for a while, then maybe you could get back your equilibrium. If only Seto, and Mokuba, and Irie would let you._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Irie just can't take it anymore?!


	14. Speculation and Confirmation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irie just can't take it anymore!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: You got to spend your day off with Seto walking him home

Initially, work back at the Kaiba Corporation main office was hell. Traveling and being sick created a backlog of small, time-consuming tasks and e-mails. Work was a fog and you sorely missed Aoki’s assistance. Her precision and organization freed you up to work on the bigger problems, but now you had to go back to handling it all by yourself. Once again you found yourself staying late and arriving early just to get everything done. 

The worst part was that you were no longer having lunch with Irie. It wasn’t just that you were on bad terms; you were also so busy that you were cramming bites at your desk. You wanted to patch things up, but until work calmed down a little, you simply didn’t have the energy. 

You were dragging so much that you were worried about being sharp during your meeting with Seto, so you stopped at the break room to get something from the vending machine. You stood, spaced out a little, trying to figure out what would wake you up enough to handle verbal sparring. 

Irie tapped your shoulder. “Hey, I called your name a few times. Are you sure you’re okay?” He stepped back uncertainly. “You’re not sick again, are you?”

You bit back a sigh. “No, Irie-kun. Just tired from work. Thanks.” You made your selection from the vending machine. “Well,” you said, straightening, “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later, Irie-kun.” 

In the hallway, you heard the clank of a can before Irie’s hurried steps followed you. You groaned inwardly as he paced up beside you.

“Irie-kun,” you said warningly.

“I know,” he said, “I know. But I hope you’ll hear what I have to say.” 

“This isn’t the time.” You stepped into the elevator and chose the top floor. “I’ll talk to you later.”

Irie stepped inside the elevator with you, clearly ignoring your scowl. “It will just be a moment. I haven’t properly apologized to you for last time. I wasn’t considering your feelings and for that I’m sorry.” He bowed deeply.

You rubbed your forehead. “Like you’re ignoring my feelings now? Thanks for the apology, but I don’t have the time or the energy to discuss this with you, Irie-kun.”

Irie shifted. “Sorry.” The rest of the ride was silent except for the soft dings as you passed each floor. Finally, the elevator stopped. 

“I’ll text you when I can talk about it,” you said, pressing the button for Irie’s floor and stepping out. “It might be a while before I’m up to it.”

At first, it seemed like Irie would obediently ride back down, but he stepped out just as the doors were closing. “Sorry, but I don’t feel right about this.”

“Irie-kun! I have a meeting.” You gestured at Seto’s office behind you. “We literally cannot discuss this now.”

He stepped forward beseechingly. “I just want to get us back to normal.” 

“We will never be normal if I get in trouble because you made me late for my meeting with the CEO. Who is Seto Kaiba, by the way. You know him, the one who fires anyone who even slightly crosses him?” You glanced at Katakura-san behind you. He wasn’t looking in your direction, but he was tapping the small clock he kept on his desk. You were very close to being late.

“Kaiba won’t fire you,” Irie muttered. He bit his lip. “He won’t fire you because you’re in a secret relationship.”

You turned to look at him slowly. “Irie-kun. What the fuck,” you said flatly.

He didn’t look you in the eye. “You’ve crossed him before. You’ve crossed him a lot, I’ve gathered, and he hasn’t fired you yet. It’s because you’re really dating and all this antagonism is a front.”

You couldn’t tell if you were trembling with anger or repressed laughter. “I do not have time to address the ridiculousness of that theory. Listen, I’ll forget this whole conversation as long as you go back to work right now and won’t contact me until I talk to you first. I don’t want to throw away our friendship over a misunderstanding.”

“Maybe Mokuba, then? Although, he’s too young—” he stopped, flinching from your steely gaze. “Fine, then, if—if you aren’t dating, then why won’t you let me be as close to you as they are?” His fists were clenched.

You resisted the urge to hurl your unopened drink at him. “Irie, I don’t understand what you want from me. I have a working relationship with both the President and the Vice-President.” You opened your eyes wide and tilted your head back towards Katakura-san’s desk, trying to indicate that you were being overheard. “You’re my friend, Irie-kun, or were. You can be if you let this go and we talk. about. it. later.”

“Friends?” Irie’s voice shook harder than his hands. 

“Irie-kun, now is not—”

He closed his eyes tightly and spoke over you. “Surely, by now, you must have realized that my feelings are…" He opened his eyes wide and paled visibly, looking over your shoulder.

You turned, not surprised to see who was standing there.

“So this is what’s been taking you so long,” said Seto, arms folded as he appraised the scene. He was suspiciously serene. “You should have just told me that you’d be late; I’ve been missing you.” 

You were instantly on guard. “President Kaiba-san,” you said, bowing slightly. “I was just finishing up something with my coworker.” You shot Irie a pointed glance. “I apologize.”

“No worries,” he said. He reached into his inner pocket and handed you an envelope. “Here, as thanks for accompanying me the other day.” He smiled at you so sweetly it gave you goosebumps. The bad kind.

Irie looked scared, confused, and outraged all at once. “It’s not what it sounds like,” you said as you opened the envelope warily. Inside were two tickets.

“Those are to get into Mokuba’s birthday event,” explained Seto. “Feel free to bring a,” he looked Irie up and down, “friend.” His cocky smile widened when Irie glared at him. He looked at you fondly and winked. “Now, it seems like you and I have a lot to discuss. Your _friend_ should to go back to work. Say goodbye.” He backed off, going to inquire about something with Katakura-san.

You blinked rapidly, trying to wake up. “Irie-kun, I’m, uh, I’m not sure what just happened just now but it’s not—”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’ll come up with an explanation later.” He relaxed and shrugged his shoulders as he turned to press the button for the elevator thirty times. “Don’t worry about what I was saying. It clearly doesn’t matter. Bye,” he said, waving weakly before stepping inside. You just caught a glimpse of him putting his face into his hands before the doors closed.

You whirled around. Seto must already be in his office, so you marched in there without giving Katakura-san time to buzz in. Seto was sinking into his chair. “What was that?” you demanded.

He raised an eyebrow at you, flirty demeanor gone. “You realize that he’s interested in you romantically, right?” He began typing, back to business.

“That’s for him to say. Why were you being purposefully misleading?”

Seto shrugged. “It was funny.”

Angry heat flowed up the back of your neck. You might have been fighting, but Irie was still your friend. “Funny?”

“He was being pathetic. Now. Coffee.” 

You stared at him, “What?”

He looked at you like you were stupid. “It’s past time for our meeting, remember? My coffee.”

A number of impulses collided in your brain. “You are so,” you paused, trying to use a word that wasn’t a swear, “so frustrating.” You slapped your files down onto his desk before stomping out to the break room. Once in there, you tried to calm yourself down by chugging the drink you had purchased ages ago. It tasted awful. Again, you thought of several ways to mess with Seto by sabotaging his coffee somehow, but you knew that he would just make you remake it.

Irie now had the totally wrong idea. Normally, you would trust him to be discreet, but with everything that’s happened, it was hard to tell what he might say to someone. The last thing you needed was for a rumor to start. Thankfully, Ichika’s accusation never took hold, but if someone more popular, like Irie, were to say it too… At least the conversation had ended without anyone saying anything they couldn’t take back. You resolved yourself to working as hard as possible to make an actual conversation with Irie a priority. He’d been your friend for a while; you could smooth things out as long as you worked at it.

You were calm enough by the time you brought Seto his coffee that you were able to get through all of your reports on recent projects with minimal insolence. Despite some disagreements on personnel changes in Nagoya, it actually went rather well. Sometimes it surprised you how the two of you could go from fighting one minute to almost connecting with one another over work. It never lasted long, though.

You were just gathering your things to leave when Seto asked, “Will you date him?”

A file slipped in your hand, spilling papers. You did not wake up this morning expecting to answer so many questions about your love life, least of all from Seto Kaiba. “Date whom?” you said evasively.

He gave you a withering look. “Don’t feign ignorance. That sales rep. You are together a lot.”

As usual, the glare from the windows behind him made it hard to read the small details of his expression. You stooped to pick up the papers that had jumped ship. “It isn’t any of your business whom I date.” 

“I don’t care about your personal life, but you are a liability to Kaiba Corporation. I have a right to control pertinent information.” Seto stood, leaning over his desk. “So, does he know?” 

You crossed your arms over your files. “Does Irie-kun know about my amnesia? He does.”

“And the fraud?” 

“It didn’t come up,” you said stiffly.

He pierced you with a threatening glare. “Make sure that it doesn’t.” He leaned back again, breaking the tension. “He doesn’t seem to rank high enough for anyone to go poking around his personal life, but if they do, know that there is no way that Kaiba Corporation will be implicit in your wrongdoing.”

Detestable. “Of course not,” you snapped. “It may surprise you, Kaiba-san, but I don’t have an agenda. I don’t want anything bad to happen to KaibaCorp, or Mokuba, or even you. I just want to live my life and do my job.”

Seto snorted derisively and picked up a paperweight.

What kind of jerk? Trying to needle him, you brandished the envelope he had given you earlier. “This isn’t _really_ from you. Or is it? Are you going to make a scene if I do show up with Irie-kun?”

He glanced at you sharply. “Mokuba made me pass it on; he can invite who he likes. Why should I care if you go and who accompanies you?”

“I don’t know, but you seem awfully obsessed with who I’m close to. ‘You are together a lot.’ Since when do you take notice of a low-level employee?”

He scoffed and waved a hand dismissively. “Since he was practically shouting love poems right outside my office.”

You grinned triumphantly. “That doesn’t make sense. How did you know he was a sales rep? You’ve been keeping tabs. I bet it wasn’t a coincidence that your car broke down by my apartment.” Seto revved up his glare, but you didn’t give him time to respond. “And, if I’m such a liability, why haven’t you fired me?” 

Seto set down the paperweight slowly and stood over you. “I don’t fire you because you fulfill the duties of your position here at Kaiba Corporation well enough.”

You smiled up at him, rejecting the intimidation. “That means that I do a good job, doesn’t it? You can just say that you know.”

“You’re replaceable.” 

“That doesn’t mean you don’t find me valuable.”

Seto’s lip curled disdainfully. “Your labor is worth what I pay you for it and that is all.”

“Hmm” you peered up at him, trying to see if he was hiding anything in his eyes. “Is that really all it is?”

He leaned away from you, disturbed. “Even if I did fire you, Mokuba would do everything he could to reverse my decision, anyway,” he ground out reluctantly. “Satisfied? You have work to do. Get out.”

“Yes, President Kaiba-san. Oh, and please tell Mokuba that we’d be delighted to be there,” you said cheerfully and left, delighted to finally get the last word.

Your heart pounded all the way down to your floor. You were probably going to catch a whole lot of trouble later, but it did feel good to accuse someone of something ridiculous without any proof instead of being accused yourself.

Once you got off the elevator, you noticed that a man from the board of directors was talking to one of the support staff. Usually, they didn’t come down this far. He looked up at you as you walked by, so you inclined your head. He gave you a warm smile in response, but it fell just a little too quickly. You wanted to find out what he was doing here but there wasn’t a good way to join the conversation and eavesdropping was out of the question: there was nowhere to do it discreetly. You could feel him watching you as you unlocked your office. You’d have to settle for asking the clerk what they talked about, later.

Inside your office, you shook off the uneasy feeling and sent Irie a text. “We clearly need to talk things out. Meet me at the station at 18:30.” The little check that he had read the message came up nearly right away, but you didn’t get a response. 

You tried to keep working on your backlog, but you started to feel antsy. What if, after what Seto did, Irie didn’t want to talk to you anymore? What if Seto really did fire you because you accused him of… what did you accuse him of? What was that board of directors guy doing? Was Mokuba being bullied because you meddled in his life again? Why hadn’t Irie gotten back to you yet? You stood sharply, unable to sit still. You went out and walked to the end of the hallway before going back to the clerk’s desk. It was empty. You glanced at the clock. It was only a quarter of an hour away from the end of the workday. It probably wasn’t a big deal that he was gone already. You were probably just paranoid. Probably.

As nonchalantly as possible, you asked a few of the secretaries about what they knew but didn’t get anything useful. Apparently, that clerk was relatively new and hadn’t yet made any friends with the rest of the staff. Maybe the director was the one who got the clerk the job and so he was just checking in on him. Maybe he was nervous because of the perceived nepotism.

At last, it was time to go meet Irie. He still hadn’t replied to your message, but he did see it, so you had hope. It was raining, but fortunately, you had your umbrella, so all you had to worry about were wet feet and legs as you made your way to the station and found your usual spot to meet up. He wasn’t there yet, but there were still ten minutes until the time you’d specified, so you just watched the crowds. It had taken you some time to get used to how busy it got in Domino City. When you first arrived, it was quite a shock, but now you almost liked the anonymity of being one of the crowd. 

It was 18:45 and Irie still wasn’t there. He might have been on a sales call and that’s why he couldn’t make it back in time. You decided on a certain amount of time to continue to wait; you were starting to get cold. Soon, however, you spotted Irie jogging towards you, pant cuffs soaked. He stopped as soon as he noticed you. He bent over like he was catching his breath, so you walked over to meet him.

“I wasn’t,” he panted, “I wasn’t going to come, but then I wondered if you were waiting without an umbrella. I couldn’t take that risk.” He was carrying an extra umbrella under his arm. 

“Oh, Irie-kun. Come on, we have a lot to talk about and we shouldn’t do it out here.” You led the way to Mori café, one of your favorites. You ordered your usual drink with a fox donut. Irie was trapped, now. There was no way he could let you sit and eat by yourself, so he reluctantly ordered something, too.

Once the waitress left, you cleared your throat. “Irie-kun, please let me say everything I need to say first.” You looked at him for confirmation. He didn’t look at you, so you just dove right in. “First, I want to apologize.” Irie’s head snapped up, but he didn’t try to interrupt. “When we were at the library, I felt ambushed by what we were doing. I wasn’t ready to discuss more of my past with you and I didn’t like being ignored when I tried to explain that. I know you were trying to help me and I understand that I reacted badly. You’re my friend and I shouldn’t have blown up at you or been cold to you recently. Part of that can be explained by how busy I was at work, but it isn’t an excuse. I’m sorry,” you bowed your head. When you raised it, Irie had his lips pressed together tightly and he looked like he was struggling with something. He was probably holding back a comment, properly waiting until you were finished. “I will share with you more about my past, but on my terms,” you said. “Please, respect me when I say that I’m not ready to talk about something.”

“Now, about the issue of the difference in treatment between the Kaibas and yourself,” you said, then paused as the waitress brought your order. “Let me put something into perspective: I have known Mokuba longer than anyone. And most of what they both know about me is because they witnessed it; not because I chose to share it with them. You and Hanako-chan were truly the first people I felt comfortable with to tell you about the amnesia. And of anyone, Irie-kun, you are the one I spend the most time with, work or non-work related.”

“I am absolutely not dating either of them. That you think I would, that you think we’d have a secret relationship, actually hurts me. I have worked so hard these last few years to get where I am. I don’t like it when it’s insinuated that I needed help to get this far. I also strongly dislike the connotation it has that I gave… favors.” Irie’s cup clattered. You smiled ruefully at his horrified expression. “I see you didn’t think that far. Irie-kun, my reputation is already in danger, just with what my life has been. I don’t need rumors.” You paused to let him grasp that. “Now, I’m willing to hear what you have to say.”

Irie took a few moments, tapping the handle on his cup thoughtfully. Eventually, he placed the cup back into the saucer and folded his hands. His knuckles were white. “I didn’t do a good job of it earlier, so I’ll say it again. I am deeply sorry for not considering your feelings and pushing you too hard about your past. I am also sorry for my outburst this afternoon. I can see now how unreasonable I was being.” His ears turned red. “I hope you didn’t end up in any trouble.”

“No, I didn’t get into trouble. Unfortunately, I think Kaiba-san was amused by your outburst.”

“Amused?”

“Yes, his whole demeanor from this afternoon was an act. He was just trying to rile you up for his own twisted sense of humor.”

“Oh.” Irie blushed even more. He twisted his napkin in his hands. “There’s something I should say. This isn’t at all the way I would have wanted to say it, but given recent circumstances, you probably already know it, so I should—the best would be to just get it out into the open.” Now it was your turn to hold back a comment. He wouldn’t meet your eyes, so thankfully you were able to get your expression back to neutral. 

He took a deep, shaky breath. “I love you,” he said, finally looking at you properly. The bell dinged as some more customers entered the café. Irie paused as the waitress walked by your table to greet them.

He cleared his throat. “I know it probably isn’t what you want to hear, but it’s the truth. And I’m not—” he bit his lip “I don’t need an answer now. I’m not looking to change our relationship. I understand that you have things to work through; I was hoping to help you through those, and, well, I guess I still am. I love you, and all I want is that you are aware of it. That you’re aware of me. As a man.” By now his face was so red you could almost see steam rising.

You took a moment to organize your thoughts. You weren’t exactly surprised, but you didn’t think he’d confess now. You tried a reassuring smile. “Irie-kun, I’m happy that you told me your feelings.”

He let out a haltering sigh as if it both was and wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “So, uh, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you need to accompany Kaiba the other day?”

“Oh, that. His car broke down by my apartment. I owe his PA a favor, so I babysat him on his way back home. I didn’t want to do it and he sure as hell didn’t want me there. The tickets weren’t even a thank you; Mokuba just wanted him to pass them along.” You dug out the envelope and handed it to him. “Here, take a look. I was going to ask you if you wanted to come with me.”

He looked over the information on the invite. “I can make it, but are you sure, well, are you sure you want me? You could take Hanako-chan. If it’s weird having me as your date.”

“I’d like you to go with me. Take it as a sign of our renewed friendship.”

He tried his best to smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Party! Party! Party!


	15. Grounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party! Party! Party!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: You finally talked things out with Irie and received a love confession.

“Are you sure you’re fine with me? It’s probably not too late to have Hanako-chan come instead,” said Irie, fiddling with his shirt collar.

You paused, halfway out of the taxi. “Irie-kun. We’re already here.” 

He looked out of the car window at the Kaiba Mansion and all the people in fancy dress streaming into it. “Are you su—”

“Why are you so nervous?” you asked, straightening your own outfit. You were quietly freaking out, but you didn’t expect social Irie to be as well. You reached for the package you left on your seat.

Irie handed it to you and climbed out, thanking the taxi driver. “I’ve never been to one of the Kaiba parties before. They’re really rare and employees never get invites. Celebrities come to these things.”

“Come on, it’s Mokuba’s 15th birthday. It can’t be that glamorous,” you said, but Irie was looking over your shoulder.

“That’s Rui Yokoyama,” he breathed. You turned to see a young woman getting out of a limo nearby. She was clearly an actress or a jpop star. Irie nearly squealed next to you.

You stifled a laugh. “I didn’t know you followed idols, Irie-kun.”

He answered you without looking, still staring at the other guest. “Not _idols_ but Rui-chan is special.” Then he sighed deeply. “Even if we’re at the same party I doubt we’ll be introduced.”

“Not even introduced and you call her ‘-chan’?” 

Irie’s face turned pink. “Well, uh I did meet her once at a,” he cleared his throat, “a handshake event.”

“I see. Well, maybe if we follow her in the host will give you a more proper introduction. Maybe she’ll even learn your name.” 

Irie pouted. “Please don’t tease me.” Both of you made your way up the front steps of the mansion and finally inside. 

Although you had been to the mansion before, you weren’t prepared to see it like this. Any thoughts that this would be a normal fifteen-year-old’s birthday party were completely blown away by the extravagance. There were far more tuxedoed servants than you had ever seen before, each of them completely focused on giving the guests the best experience possible. No sooner had you stepped inside than one of them stepped forward to divest you of your coats, giving you a ticket to pick them up later. As soon as that was over, another presented you with a choice of drinks and then another ushered you into the main rooms. 

You didn’t know that the Kaiba Mansion had a ballroom, and it was immense. Right now no one was using it to dance, instead, many tables had been set up in various areas. There was a section for food, staffed by chefs who were available to cook “practically anything an honored guest might request.” Another part was given over to tables with comfortable couches and chaises where the guests could lounge. A third held a stage where live music was to be performed.

After Nozaki, your guide, had shown you everything in the ballroom, he guided you around the first floor of the mansion. “Mokuba-sama has arranged for a different game to be played in each of these main rooms,” said the servant. “If you find anything that suits your fancy, merely join a group. Should any disputes about rules or playing time arise, please appeal to the game wardens.” He indicated a sharp-looking group of servants wearing green sashes. 

“Mokuba-sama has also opened up the pool for tonight,” Nozaki said, letting you peek inside the room you’d seen a few times before. A few curtained booths for changing stood at the far end of the room. 

“But we don’t have any swimsuits,” you said.

“Mokuba-sama anticipated this. Any honored guest wishing to use the pool this evening may choose among a large selection he procured for this purpose.” Nozaki took you across the hall and opened up a room that had temporarily been turned into a bathing suit store. “No charge, of course.”

Next, Nozaki lead you around the pool and to the edge of the pool deck. Below, guests were exploring the grounds, admiring the landscaping and fountains. “Feel free to enjoy the evening, just take care to stay within the area edged with lights. We do have a maze and wandering feet may not find their way back again.” Nozaki then left you, telling you to enjoy yourselves and ask for anything you might require.

Irie’s eyes had started out huge, but now you were unsure if he was ever going to blink again. “What is this place,” he whispered. “Forget getting lost on the grounds, I don’t even know how to get around the house.”

“There are people everywhere, I’m sure if we get lost we’ll just have to ask someone,” you said, nudging Irie gently. “Come on, let’s go see if we can find Mokuba. We should greet him first.” The two of you skirted the pool which was crowded with teenagers. It relieved you a little. At first, you’d mostly seen adults, but it was indeed a teen’s birthday party.

You and Irie wound your way through the crowds of celebrities and rich people, trying to get back to the foyer and main rooms. Mokuba would probably be there greeting guests. You hadn’t seen him when you first arrived, but you were too blinded by the opulence and the number of people to get a proper look. Somehow, you managed to find your way back without getting lost once, which you quietly celebrated as you looked for Mokuba.

He wasn’t in the foyer, so you wandered into the ballroom, but you couldn’t see him there, either. “Maybe he’s waiting to make a grand entrance,” suggested Irie. “Why don’t we get something to eat and wait?”

“Yeah,” you said, looking down at the small bag you held with Mokuba’s gift inside. Surprisingly, none of the servants had offered to take it from you. “Have you seen anywhere to put gifts?”

Irie paused in the middle of giving an order to a chef. “Gifts? But, this isn’t that kind of party, right? I mean, would you really expect all these people to get something for him? Besides, it’s not like Mokuba-san needs anything he can’t get for himself.”

Your face heated uncomfortably. You hadn’t even considered that no one else would get him something, or that they wouldn’t bring it to the party, at least. You were just about to excuse yourself to see if you could check the bag in the coat room when you heard Mokuba’s laugh behind you. Swinging around, you carefully hid the gift bag behind your back. It wasn’t necessary, because he was a good distance away and thoroughly distracted by a crowd of people, mostly girls. 

Once Irie received his order you went to sit down with him. “Aren’t you going to eat?” asked Irie, starting in enthusiastically.

At first, you thought you would, but when you looked over the menus you were too overwhelmed by all the high-class dishes. You had had no idea where to start and since you’d never tried any of it before you didn’t know what to order. You stared down at the gift in front of you as you answered. “I had something before I came. I don’t want to get my outfit dirty.” 

He accepted your explanation and looked behind you. “Hey, the birthday boy showed up. Aren’t you going to go say something?” 

You turned to see him still preoccupied with other guests. “No, he seems busy.”

“You know, Mokuba-san might be young, but looking at him like this makes it seem like he’s in a whole different world from us,” said Irie. “He’s kind of sparkly.”

Mokuba did seem like he shined, surrounded by upper-class ladies and celebrities. The scale of this party made you feel small and grubby, despite doing your best to dress up. You were out of place, and the realization made you feel awful.

Then Mokuba looked up and spotted you. He came over to your table, still trailed by a few people that were in his group. They made you nervous, especially when you saw a few of them look you over and whisper amongst themselves. 

“Here you are. I’m glad you made it out,” Mokuba said with a genuine smile. You hadn’t seen that in a while. He pulled out a chair and sat at your table.

“Mokuba-san,” said Irie. “Happy Birthday.”

Mokuba narrowed his eyes just a fraction but kept his gracious smile. “Thank you, Irie-san.”

“Yes, happy birthday,” you said, trying to push your mood aside and put as much goodwill into it as possible. 

Mokuba looked at your table. “Oh, is that for me?” The gift. You should have just checked it or at least kept it underneath your chair.

“Oh, yeah. Uhm, if it isn’t too much of a bother,” you said, passing it over hesitantly. The people waiting behind Mokuba looked on, so you hemmed. “It isn’t much, if you just want to wait and open it later…”

Mokuba was already reaching inside the bag. “I think it’s good to open things when you receive them,” he said. “Oh, is this a watch?” His eyes lit up as he pulled out the box. He cracked it open, the onlookers leaning over his shoulders. Mokuba’s expression froze. “Oh. It’s a Shinola.” 

You felt a blush rising to your cheeks. “I know it isn’t really fancy, but I thought you might not have this one and it looked cool, so…”

Mokuba closed the box and smiled at you. “You’re right, I don’t have it. Thanks.” 

Someone in the group behind him snorted and muttered “…because it’s cheap.” You felt the blush drain away. You had known that its price point was way below what he usually bought, but 90,000¥ was a lot for you. 

Mokuba glanced behind him and the snickers stopped. Then he removed the watch he wore and replaced it with the one you just got him. “See, it does look very cool. Right?” he asked the group. Under his stare, they all murmured and agreed. “Thank you again,” he said, reaching forward and squeezing your hand.

“Yeah,” you whispered. Mokuba was looking at you with pity so you stood abruptly. “Well, I don’t want to take up too much of your time. You have lots of other people to see. Come on, Irie-kun,” you said, pulling him out of his seat mid-bite. “Let’s go try some games.”

“I’ll catch up with you,” said Mokuba meaningfully, letting you flee the room. 

Once you were out in the hall, Irie-kun touched your shoulder lightly. “Are you alright? Those guys were pretty rude. At least Mokuba-san made them behave, but that probably doesn’t feel too good, right? People looking down on us because they’re richer than we are. You have just as much right to be here as they do, even if you're not part of high society. ” He rubbed his thumb on your shoulder in small circles.

You placed your hand on top of his. “Yeah, thanks Irie-kun. I’m humiliated, but I’ll be fine. It stings more because I really don’t fit in here, with all the celebrities and rich people. Actually, since I don’t really fit in anywhere. Maybe if I knew who I was I’d actually have a place to belong.” Irie looked at you sadly, so you shook your head quickly and forced a bright smile. “Enough of that wallowing. Are there any games you want to play? I bet Rui-chan is in a room with karaoke.” You waggled your eyebrows at him.

He shoved you lightly. “Instead of games, should we go for a swim?”

“What, really?”

Irie smiled at you. “Why not? It’s been so hot lately, and I mean, when will you ever get the chance to swim in the Kaibas’ pool again?” Together you made your way to the selection of swimsuits. By now you were able to reach that back room without hesitation.

“You must be pretty good at directions,” said Irie when you arrived. “We haven’t gotten lost once, although I had no clue where we were a few times.”

“Not especially, but after a bit of practice...” You paused, looking at Irie guiltily.

He had caught your blunder. “Practice?” He swallowed hard and tried to look nonchalant. “Have you been here before?”

You tried to keep from blushing because that would only make you look like you were hiding something. “Only for work, a few times.”

“And work brought you here, to the room with the couches, tv’s, billiards tables, and the pool.”

“Irie-kun,” you said warningly, “I don’t have to explain myself to you. It was not to socialize.”

Irie clenched his fists and relaxed them. “You’re right. I trust you.” He eased his scowl and led the way into the room with the swimsuits. “Will you help me choose a suit?”

You did help Irie to choose a swimsuit, although you carefully hid your own choice from him until you entered the changing booth. This was your chance to surprise him with a wow-factor, but also you weren’t sure how self-conscious you would be since you’d never worn a swimsuit before.

“Are you ready?” Irie called from outside the curtain. 

You clutched the curtain from inside. “Yeah.” Then, before you could change your mind, you jerked it open. “How is it?” Irie looked at you calmly. You bit your lip. Of course, you probably didn’t look good enough to elicit a huge reaction, but you thought he would do something. Actually, he really wasn’t doing anything, just staring with the same expression on his face. “Uh, Irie-kun?”

Suddenly a blush bloomed across his face and ears. He tore his eyes away from you and walked stiffly out onto the pool deck before jumping in, splashing a nearby group of teens. You followed, trying to stifle a grin as you sat on the edge of the pool. When Irie surfaced, he was able to look you in the eye again. “You look great, obviously. Now, get in.” He looked at some of the boys in the group he had splashed. “You’re too visible out here.” He reached for your hand and tugged gently.

“Wait,” you said, leaning back. He paused. “I don’t think I can swim. I’ll just sit here on the edge.”

“You can’t— oh, right. Well, maybe you can but you just don’t remember? Let’s give it a try.” He gave you a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll hold onto you the whole time.” He put his hands on your waist and slowly lowered you down into the water. “You should be able to reach the bottom here,” he said, but he didn’t let go. Together you walked through the water a bit, letting you get used to it.

“I think I’m okay now,” you said. “At least where I can touch.” 

Irie pouted a bit as he pulled away, so you splashed him gently. He turned back with a glint in his eye, and soon both of you were yelling and being as rowdy as the teens you splashed as you played. 

Eventually, you caught someone saying your name, voice weary with repetition. You wiped the water out of your eyes so you could see better. Mokuba stood by the edge of the pool, looking unamused. “Sorry to bother you, but I need to talk to you for a minute. Please go get changed.” 

Apologizing to Irie, you hastened back to the attendant’s counter where you had stashed your clothes. After you had freshened up, you returned to find both Mokuba and Irie were sitting on chairs at the same patio table, but they weren’t looking or speaking to each other. 

“Sorry for the wait, Mokuba,” you said, hastening up. “What do you need to talk about?”

“It’s private,” he said and Irie shot him a poisonous look. They must have already discussed this.

“I can’t just leave Irie-kun alone, though,” you said, trying to think of a way to settle this. Then, you spied a familiar shimmery dress. “Look,” you said to Irie, “Rui-chan is out here.” He twisted and you took advantage of his inattention to nudge Mokuba and raise your eyebrows.

He sighed before standing. “Yokoyama-san,” he called. “Please, let me introduce to you my friend Manabu Irie-san.” After they were acquainted and chatting, he returned to you.

“There,” you said brightly, “now everyone is happy.”

Mokuba turned to look back at Irie before motioning for you to follow him to the edge of the pool deck and down the stairs into the garden. “You really brought him as your date, huh.”

His phrasing made you pause. “Did Seto say something about Irie-kun?”

“Seto? No,” he shook his head, “I just thought it might be something like that. Why,” he peered at you, “would Seto know anything that has to do with you and Irie-san?”

“Well,” you said, trying to find the best way to say it, “Irie-kun and I weren’t on good terms. He, uh, tried to make up with me at the wrong time and Seto overheard. I brought Irie-kun as my date as a sign of friendship.”

Mokuba raised his eyebrows. “Friendship, huh? Is that what Irie-san wants?”

“Uhh, what—what do you mean?” You cleared your throat.

He looked at you flatly. “Please, it’s as clear as anything that he’s in love with you. Also, I talk to Katakura-san.”

“What? That traitor,” you grumbled. “Wait, so you already knew without me needing to explain?”

“Well, I wanted to hear your perspective. And, I didn’t know that you weren’t dating. Oh, here should be fine.” Mokuba had brought you to a quiet alcove in the hedges where it would be difficult to be overheard. He faced you before bowing deeply. “I apologize for the earlier situation in the ballroom.” He straightened and grabbed your hand. “You had to suffer some embarrassment and I’m truly sorry. The gift is lovely and I know you did your best to choose it for me. Actually,” he said, “you spent too much money, considering.”

“It’s fine, Mokuba,” you said. “You’ve done a lot for me. Did you see the engraving?”

“What?” He scrambled to remove the watch and flip it over. “This quote is—”

“It’s one of my favorites. I hope you’ll think of me when you see it.” 

“Thank you,” he said, putting it back on. “I wish I’d known earlier, then those guys could have seen that it’s infinitely valuable.” 

You folded your hands tightly, trying to keep your emotions steady. “They seemed important.”

Mokuba sighed and rubbed his forehead. “They’re not, really. All second or third-generation heirs. I had to invite them because of social obligations.”

“You really are a socialite. You’re so well-grounded that sometimes I forget that you’re one of the upper-class. I’m really no match for you.”

“Stop that. It’s not like I particularly enjoy their company. You’re much more fun to hang out with, and you don’t get hung up on things like status and company earnings.”

“So you’re willing to hang out with me again?” you asked.

Mokuba smiled at you warmly. “I guess I am.”

“That makes me so happy,” you said, pulling him in for a brief hug. “Well, if that’s all you wanted, I should get back to Irie-kun.” You turned to leave the alcove.

Mokuba touched your arm to turn you around again. “No, don’t go back yet. There is one more thing.” He pulled a small USB drive out of his pocket and handed it to you. “Directly after the party, Seto and I are going overseas for a bit of a family vacation. Unfortunately, there’s a merger I’ve orchestrated that will be taking place while we’re gone. The main tasks have all been taken care of, but I’ll need you to do a few small things for me to prepare. Please.”

“Of course I will, Mokuba, but wouldn’t someone else be taking care of this?”

“Well, the merger is a bit sensitive, but I trust you’ll be discreet and effective. Sometimes it can be hard to deal with employees who find certain things… distasteful.” You nodded solemnly. You might not always agree with some of the Kaibas’ decisions, but you had made your peace with that before you applied. Not everyone who decides to work for KaibaCorp does the same amount of research before starting their jobs.

Once you had received your instructions, both of you started back towards the pool. You turned the last corner around a hedge and nearly ran into Irie. “Hey,” you said, “sorry it took so lon—”

“What have you been doing?” Irie accused. “It’s kind of rude to leave your date in order to go off with someone else.”

You stared at him. “You knew that I needed to go talk to Mokuba. Weren’t you talking to Rui-chan yourself?”

“Don’t be angry with us just because Yokoyama-san grew tired of your yammering and ditched you,” said Mokuba with a smirk. 

Irie’s face grew red. “She said she needed to go home.” 

You gave Mokuba a quelling look. “I’m sorry, Irie-kun. But now I’m back, so why don’t we go back to the party?”

“No,” said Irie. “No, I think we should just go home.”

“Really? Do you not feel well?”

He huffed. “We just don’t belong here! Look, everyone at this party has status, or wealth, or both, except for us. It’s just a different world from ours and we look stupid trying to belong to it. Weren’t you embarrassed earlier? I’m tired of being around these egotists.”

“If you mean the watch, Mokuba’s already apologized.” Irie hadn't felt this strongly about it before. Maybe something really did happen with Rui-chan.

“It’s not about the apology! It’s about how judgmental everyone here is.”

“Yonebayashi-kun doesn’t have wealth or status,” offered Mokuba. He indicated a bench tucked back into the shadows that you hadn’t seen when you passed. Indeed, Yonebayashi sat there, holding a book up to hide his face. “And the rest of my classmates are here, too. You were swimming with them. It sounds like you’re the judgmental one.”

Irie gritted his teeth. “I am so sick of you Kaibas,” he said, voice starting to climb. “You think that you can treat people however you want—"

“Irie-kun, that’s enough,” you snapped. “Think of who you are talking to! What are you thinking, trying to start a scene here?” Irie had caught the attention of several party guests, so you dropped your voice. “You’re right, I think it is time for you to go home.”

Irie opened his mouth hastily but closed it again before turning and stomping back into the mansion. You sighed and turned to Mokuba. “I’m really worried about what he’ll do; I’d better go see him off. I’m so sorry about the trouble we’ve been causing.”

“No worries, I have to see to my other guests, but I’ll see you later.” 

You hurried after Irie, but soon lost sight of him amidst the people streaming outside to see the garden adorned with lights. You started to look down side hallways, just in case he got lost. It was a good thing that you were looking because he was indeed down an unused hallway. 

You ducked back behind the corner before you were seen; Irie wasn’t alone. “What are you doing here?” Seto asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: After the party, it's work as usual, but...


	16. Catharsis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party's over, get back to work!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Mokuba's party was a roller coaster of embarrassment for you and Irie.

You peered around the corner carefully, assessing the situation. Somehow, this didn’t seem like an atmosphere you could just wander into. Seto stood, confronting Irie and a man you didn’t know. “Why are you here, Pegasus? Not to mention wandering around with this thing,” said Seto, irritably. 

“Thing?” started Irie, but he was cut off.

“Why, Kaiba,” said Pegasus. You knew the name, although something about him seemed kind of familiar, too. “I’m just showing this gentleman to the door. He seemed rather lost.”

“I’m asking why you’re here at my house. Mokuba wouldn’t have invited you.”

Pegasus chuckled. “Oh, I wouldn’t let a thing like that stop me.”

“And you know very well that that door doesn’t lead to the exit. Stop screwing around and leave,” Seto said, a threat hanging in his voice.

“Fine,” said Pegasus with a melodramatic sigh, “I suppose I’ve already given Mokuba my well-wishes. Well, Irie-san, it looks like we’ve been given the boot. What do you say you and I get out of here?”

“Uh, I,” stammered Irie, but Pegasus was already sweeping him along, an arm draped around Irie’s shoulders.

They were approaching your corner and suddenly you were hit with panic. They definitely should not see you, especially crouched down and eavesdropping. You looked around frantically for someplace to hide. There was a couch a few feet away, it would probably be fine if you hid on the far side of it. You sprinted and just got settled down when the two men came out into the main hallway and walked away from you, towards the door. They hadn’t discovered you, but you still felt nerves jangling in your arms and it didn’t look like your breathing was going to slow on its own. You started breathing purposefully to hold off hyperventilating.

You were so focused on trying to control your panic that you saw but didn’t notice the boots that stopped next to your hiding place, nor the shift of the couch as someone sat on it. Eventually, you managed to calm yourself down enough to relax a little. You sniffed; you hadn’t noticed that you’d been crying. 

A movement made you look up, but then your vision went white. You removed the cloth covering your eyes to find a fine silk handkerchief embroidered with the initials SK. Glancing up tentatively, you saw Seto leaning on the armrest closest to you, resting his chin on his hand and looking the other way. You hesitated. The gesture and the handkerchief were so nice that it seemed like a trap.

“Clean yourself up,” commanded Seto without looking at you. “Mokuba wouldn’t want to see you like this. It’s his birthday; make an effort.”

You snorted softly. “Yeah.” You used the handkerchief to dab at your eyes and even wipe your nose. “You aren’t going to ask why I’m crying?”

“I wouldn’t, even in the unlikely event I cared. In any case, it must be the fault of the sales rep who just left without his date.”

“I wonder.” You twisted the handkerchief gently. Neither of you said anything for a few moments. You wanted to get the conversation away from Irie. Seto would probably just gloat that bringing him had been a mistake. Suddenly, you found yourself asking, “Why did you have that gun the night of the Duel Monsters party?” Oh, yeah, that’s definitely less complicated.

Seto looked down at you sharply. “You’re only asking now?”

“I didn’t care at first, but lately…” You untwisted the handkerchief and started to line up the corners. “I’ve been wondering what my life would be like if I had been able to get some answers out of him. Mokuba says you don’t always carry a gun, so I wondered why you had one that night in particular.”

You heard Seto shift slightly. “Clearly my security isn’t competent enough for me to trust them completely. So, I keep an eye on suspicious activity on the internet. There were some signs that I might be targeted soon, so I kept the gun on me just in case. I do love it when I’m right.”

“Oh. That is smart.” You tried to hand the neatly folded handkerchief back to him, but he was just looking at you strangely.

“Keep it,” he said finally. “Like I’d want something you’d wiped your nose on.”

“I can pay—”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he snapped. Another silence followed as you meekly stowed the handkerchief away. “You wouldn’t have gotten anything out of him anyway,” said Seto finally. He was back to looking away from you, at a large painting across the hall. “He didn’t know the real identity of your backer, or where you came from.”

“How are you so sure?” 

“When I destroyed his organization I went through his files to make sure that bringing you back here wasn’t going to backfire on me. The only reference that you were even there were some old bank deposits by an unknown account.”

You frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me about this before? I could- I could have…”

Seto looked down at you haughtily. “Done what? It isn’t new information. It wouldn’t have changed anything about your life.”

Tears started to rise again, so you tilted your head back and breathed deeply to keep them from falling. “I hate it when you’re right. I just—not knowing who I am or where I fit in, it’s hard at things like this, when I see other people enjoying themselves without doubting their very identity. Knowing that there was another me is hard. Would I have fit in here? Was I a good person? A bad one? Did I have a family? Did I love someone? Would I have agreed with the choices I make now?” Your voice was shaking, so you swallowed hard. “I want to get away from the past. I try my best to move on, but even if I don’t know what it was, I can’t just throw away the life I had before.”

“Isn’t it fine? Get rid of it.”

You slid your gaze over to Seto. “What?”

“Why are you allowing yourself to be tied down by something so trivial? Things like who you used to be don’t matter. You don’t even remember it. How far back does your memory go?”

You still stared at him like he was speaking a different language. “Th—about three years.”

He said, “If you don’t know who you are after three years’ worth of decisions, then no one can know who they are.”

An exhilarated chill ran down your back. You got up onto your knees and grabbed the arm of the couch next to Seto in order to look up at him better. “But, you’re a sum of your experiences, right? If I don’t have any experiences—”

“Then you’re lucky. You don’t have as many prejudices, painful memories, or biases. Actually, isn’t this the purest form of who you are? All of the decisions you make are the result of what you want at this point in time, not due to previous issues. Just create your own identity; be who you want to be.” 

The point about not having biases was something even you’d thought of. Seto was starting to make sense. Resting your chin on the armrest, you averted your eyes slightly. “What if someone is waiting for me? If I just gave up, wouldn’t they be sad?”

“Fuck them,” said Seto. “With a personality like yours, it’s clear you’ve looked for them and haven’t found anything. If they had put forth any effort into finding you, you’d have seen it. It isn’t worth holding yourself back for people like that.”

It’s true, with all the searching you’d done, it was more likely that no one was looking. That stung a bit, even as you agreed. “What if something from the past shows up to haunt me?”

“Then deal with it as you are now. You can’t do anything else. The past isn’t important; what’s important is how you choose to move forward. You should do it without a tether.”

You sat back on your heels, staring through Seto as you thought this through. “Then, it’s okay to not worry about it anymore? I can just… move on?”

“You don’t need anyone’s permission.”

“I don’t,” you hesitated, trying to sort out your feelings. You were immensely relieved but still afraid. “I don’t think I can do that right away.”

You could see Seto shrug. “With practice, it will become easier. Although, I can’t say that you’ll ever be able to get rid of that attachment completely.”

Your focus snapped back to his face. “That sounds like it comes from experience.”

Seto didn’t answer. Instead, he stood. “Come with me. If you’re done crying you need to get cleaned up before Mokuba sees you.”

You followed him down the hallways until you came to the back room with the swimsuits. There, the staffed make-up and hairstylists for guests who wanted to swim helped you fix your face so that you couldn’t tell that you had been crying. When you were finished, Seto was gone.

At first, you weren’t sure what you should do. You didn’t feel like wandering around by yourself, but neither did you know anyone else here. No, there was someone. You made your way back outside and down the steps into the garden. Then one turn brought you to the hidden bench with Yonebayashi still on it, reading. 

“Do you always read at parties, Yonebayashi-kun?”

Yonebayashi jumped. “Ah, um, no, well,” he lifted his book to cover his face. “I don’t often go to parties. Or, I should say, I’m not usually invited.”

You sat next to him and he shuffled as far away from you as he could. How rude. “That’s a shame,” you said, forcing a smile. “You seem like a nice kid.”

“But not a fun one.” That was a little harder to answer. It seemed like he wanted to get rid of you, but you didn’t have anyone else to hang out with right now, so you weren’t going anywhere. If you were by yourself you might start to ruminate again. 

You took a few moments to take in the atmosphere. The garden really was beautiful at night, especially with all the fairy lights in the hedges. You realized that you were currently sitting in one of the niches you had wanted to get into when you followed Seto home. If only you had a book like Yonebayashi-kun.

You looked over at him. He was still hiding behind it, so you tried to figure out the cover. “Is that the one you borrowed from Mokuba? Is it in English? Art-emis…” Yonebayashi slammed the book shut and covered it in his arms. “Hey, there’s no need to go that far, I was just curious.”

He turned red. “Sorry, it’s a habit.” He relaxed a little, but still didn’t let you get a clear look at the book. “It’s the same one as before, but I think perhaps Kaiba-kun wouldn’t want anyone to know that he reads this sort of thing.”

“What do you mean?”

Yonebayashi averted his eyes. “It’s not exactly cool. He just got the class to open up to him again, so if it gets out that we’ve been hanging out and reading thi—”

“What?! The class is including Mokuba again? When did this happen?” You leaned forward, causing Yonebayashi to lean back. 

“Eh, well, that is, uhm, I guess I can’t say definitely that they are, but since he invited the class to the party they’ve been talking to him a lot more. I think even the bad group is giving him a break. After all, they came tonight but haven’t caused any problems. Well, I guess, I mean, I haven’t been paying attention to the party.” He tightened his grip on the book. 

You sat back, relieved. “Really, he was able to fix it on his own? That’s great.”

For some reason, Yonebayashi frowned. “Yeah, Kaiba-kun is popular, so it was clear he wouldn’t be an outcast for long.”

You peered at him. “Yonebayashi-kun, are you jealous?”

His entire head grew red. “No. I wouldn’t be jealous of those boring normies.”

It took you a minute to understand. “I thought you were jealous of Mokuba for being able to get along with everyone but are you actually jealous of the rest of the class?”

Yonebayashi pouted at the pea-gravel path in front of you. “How could I be jealous? If he makes other friends he won’t need to lean on me anymore.” His mouth started to tremble. “I’ll be able to go back to being alone, without anyone to bother me anymore.”

“Didn’t I tell you that Mokuba isn’t like that? He’s not going to forget about you now that he’s accepted by the class. He’ll be your friend, Yonebayashi-kun, if you want him to be. If you want to be included he’ll help you.” He didn’t look at you, but you thought his frown eased just a little. “All you have to do is be honest with your feelings. Really talk to him and Mokuba will understand. You know that already, don’t you?”

He nodded imperceptibly. You smiled. This is what you wanted for Mokuba, for him to be able to make some friends. You wanted him to realize that he could make a meaningful impact without needing to overwork himself for KaibaCorp. Giving him a chance to use his own strengths instead of trying to copy Seto’s strategies. Well, Mokuba was already realizing that bit. You fiddled with the USB drive he gave you. From what you’d been able to see of their work, Mokuba was already finding his own way of doing things that was turning out to be just as effective as Seto’s.

You heard someone coming, so you stuck your head around the hedge to look. “Ah, there you are,” called Mokuba from the end of the path. He jogged towards you, Seto following behind sedately. Mokuba smiled when he saw who you were sitting with. “And Yonebayashi-kun, too. Great. First, I’d like to apologize to both of you for not being able to spend as much time with you tonight as I wanted. I’ve been pretty busy.”

“Of course, Mokuba,” you said, waving a hand in front of your face. “We know you can’t spend the whole time with just us.” Yonebayashi didn’t say anything, but he did put down his book and bow slightly. 

“So, what did you think of the party?” Mokuba asked. Yonebayashi just shrugged, which almost made you roll your eyes.

“It’s amazing,” you gushed. “I can’t believe all the effort you went through. Your house is gorgeous normally, but tonight it’s been marvelous. I’m so glad you invited me.”

Mokuba’s gaze sharpened and he knelt down in front of you. “Wait, have you been crying?”

You froze. You thought that the makeup artist had done a good job covering it up and it was so dimly lit out here he shouldn’t have noticed anything. “What? That’s crazy. I mean, I wasn’t happy about that incident earlier, but I wouldn’t cry about it.”

He glowered. “Exactly. You left to chase after Irie-san and now I see that you’ve been crying. It isn’t hard to figure out what happened.”

You stood, grabbing Mokuba’s arm and dragging him away from Yonebayashi’s bench so you wouldn’t be overheard. “It wasn’t really Irie’s fault. He doesn’t even know about it.”

“Because you hid it from him until he left,” added Seto. Didn’t he want to keep Mokuba from finding out about it? This traitor. You glared at him.

Mokuba looked back and forth from Seto to you. “So, if you weren’t crying because of Irie-san, what were you crying about?” You hesitated, unsure of where to start. Mokuba glanced up at Seto. “Why do you know about it, big brother? Given your history, perhaps…”

“I didn’t do anything. I merely stumbled upon her leaving a puddle of tears in our hallway and quickly figured out the situation. It’s the sales rep you want to be angry with.” 

Mokuba looked at you for clarification, raising his eyebrows expectantly. “It really isn’t Kaiba-san’s fault,” you said, “Or Irie-kun’s. But the discussion of why is really a topic for another time. It’s your birthday and you’re about to go on vacation. I don’t want to lower the mood.”

“Hmmm…” he said, closing his eyes and thinking, “ugh, I guess if you really won’t tell me now no matter what...” 

“Sorry.”

Mokuba sighed before motioning for you to follow him back to Yonebayashi’s bench. “Well, the reason I originally found you guys is this: the party is continuing for a while longer, so feel free to stay, but Seto and I are taking off now for our vacation. I came to say thank you and tell you goodbye. We’ll have to discuss other matters another time.”

“Of course,” you said, nudging Yonebayashi’s foot. “We’ll both make time to talk to you when you get back. Right?” Yonebayashi gave you a sullen look, but he nodded and muttered in assent. Mokuba was clearly puzzled, but he let it go and followed Seto back inside the mansion. 

“So, what do you want to do?” you asked, turning to find Yonebayashi standing up and brushing off his pants. 

He looked at you flatly. “I want to go home.” 

Well, he wasn’t obligated to spend time with you. Besides, you should probably leave, yourself. This party had been way more emotional than you had expected and now you were exhausted. 

Once you got home, you sent Irie a message saying that you returned safely, but didn’t bring up anything else. You were still upset at how he behaved, and you both needed some time to cool down before discussing what went wrong. If he was going to blow up like this every time something happened maybe you’d have to break off the friendship after all.

The next morning, you were almost late to work because it took so long for you to get your mind quiet enough to fall asleep. You didn’t need to worry. The atmosphere at KaibaCorp was very relaxed and there were plenty of people arriving late. It was a little concerning how much people took advantage of the absence of the executives. You wanted to remind the managers to keep a close eye on their people, but in fact, many of the department heads also took this time to come in late or play hooky. Well, it was probably fine. It’s good for employees to be able to relax now and then. 

Luckily, the suspicious new clerk that had been speaking with one of the directors was there on schedule and since there weren’t a lot of other people around, you finally had the chance to talk to him. First, you’d need him to warm up to you. 

“Uesugi-san,” you said warmly. “Since you started just after I returned from my stint working away from the home office, I brought you some of the omiyage I gave to the other employees.” 

Uesugi set his pen down with a definite click. “No, thank you,” he said icily. 

“It’s Tezukuri Dobutsuen. No?” You took back the tray of treats you had been holding out. “That’s fine. So, do you like your job here at KaibaCorp?”

He stared at you flatly. “It is what I expected it to be.”

This guy was hard to crack. “Then, is there any particular reason why you chose to work here instead of somewhere else?”

“They assigned me to this desk,” he said. You could tell that he took the wrong meaning on purpose because the look in his eyes told you to go away.

You tried to think of something else, but it was clear that Uesugi didn’t want to talk to you. “Oh, haha. Well, I need to get back to work. Just let me know if you change your mind about the omiyage.” He merely inclined his head in response, so you had no choice but to go back to your office. 

It turned out to be a good thing that everyone was in Off Mode this week because you were finding it difficult to concentrate, too. You kept getting little flashes of anger at Irie, sinking dread when thinking about how you were humiliated when you gave Mokuba his present or the familiar hopelessness of not having anywhere to belong. But then you would remember that flood of relief as you realized that it was okay to choose to move forward. 

You would never have believed that one of the highlights of Mokuba’s party would be a conversation with Seto Kaiba. It was a miracle that you didn’t fight, and he even took care of you, although you knew that was to keep you from ruining Mokuba’s birthday with your own issues. Still, he wasn’t quite as horrible as you would have predicted. To think that Seto would be giving you advice about your amnesia. 

Your pen slipped, leaving a long mark across the report you were marking. He gave you advice about the amnesia. When did he accept that you weren’t lying? You half-rose out of your chair before you realized that you couldn’t barge into his office to ask him about it. You considered messaging Mokuba, but you didn’t want to interrupt his vacation just for this. It would have to wait until they got back in two weeks. 

After the initial phase of relaxation, the mice decided to get back to work as normal. The managers couldn’t let it go on for more than a few days because Seto was known to cut his trips short without warning. He was extra harsh on people who weren’t working properly because of his absence. Several times you’d wandered by the sales floor, but Irie was never there. He might have been on a sales call, but he might have been avoiding you, too. 

You were finally feeling like you’d caught up on everything from when you were away, so you had plenty of time to oversee the merger Mokuba wanted you to look over. You were on your way to check on something with legal when you heard someone call out to you hesitantly. “No way~ Buchou-chan, is that you?”

You turned to the crowd of businessmen leaving the conference room you just passed and spied a familiar face from your hostess days. “Ootani-san? What are you doing here?”

Ootani broke out into a huge grin and almost bounced over to you. “What are ~you~ doing here? Is this where you disappeared to? We’ve missed you at the Ha—”

“Office,” you said emphatically, glancing at the people around you. “Yes, it has been a while since I’ve visited you at the office.”

Ootani sobered a bit and cleared his throat. “Excuse me, of course. So you’ve gotten a job with KaibaCorp, have you?”

You stifled a grin, trying to match his seriousness. “I did; I’m a management analyst here. Oh,” you said, remembering, “I suppose I have you to thank for the introduction! Kaiba-san didn’t hire me directly, but I’m sure I wouldn’t have tried for the position if you hadn’t made me aware of the company.” That wasn’t quite true, but Ootani shouldn’t know of the real circumstances.

“That’s great.” Ootani beamed. “We were very fond of you, you know, so it’s a big relief to see that you’re doing well~”

“Yes, and I hope everyone at the office is fine also.” Then you noticed what conference room they had just come out of. “Ootani-san, were you just in a meeting about the merger?”

He looked at you, a little surprised. “I was. TONOSAN is a subsidiary of Senya Corporation.” You had seen that in Mokuba’s files, but you’d been so distracted you didn’t properly pay attention to that detail. 

“Then maybe we’ll get to see each other a little more. I’m involved with that project, too.”

Ootani frowned a bit. “Eh, then I’m afraid I have some news—”

Just then, a young man jogged up to you. “Ootani-sama,” he said after giving you both a brief bow, “Our fears have just been confirmed. We won’t be able to go on with the deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Something went wrong at KaibaCorp! What are you going to do?


	17. Corporate Synergy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Work hard! Do some digging! Find solutions!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Mokuba asked you to check on one of his projects while he was gone, but something has gone wrong!

“So it’s true, then,” said Ootani heavily. He turned to you. “It seems as though there is a legal issue that makes Kaiba Corp ineligible to attain this subsidiary.” 

Your chest was tight. “I don’t understand. That’s not possible. Vice-President Mokuba-san wouldn’t make this sort of mistake.”

He sighed and dragged a hand across his face. “It happens like this sometimes, even to more seasoned businessmen. It’s no surprise that with a kid—”

“No,” you said, a little too strongly. You took a breath to calm down. “Excuse me for my impertinence. I know that Mokuba-san is young, but his work is better than the average. There is no way he hasn’t figured this out. Has he been informed yet?”

Ootani frowned more deeply. “We were told he was on vacation. Someone has tried to call both him and Kaiba-san, but they weren’t able to get a hold of them.”

“What about the deal? Will it fall through immediately or is there time to fix this?”

“That hasn’t been decided yet. I’m not the one to make that decision, but if you’re confident that you can address the issues I’ll do what I can to keep things from falling through on our end.”

Your heart pounded as your mind raced through all the possibilities. “Thank you. I’m sorry to cut our visit short, Ootani-san, but I have to find out exactly what is going on.”

He nodded. “I understand. We’ll be able to catch up another time.”

You bowed briefly before rushing off towards the legal department. In the meantime, you tried to call Mokuba. The call didn’t connect. It didn’t even go to voicemail. It was reasonable that he wouldn’t want to answer the phone whilst on vacation, but there was no way he’d make himself completely unavailable. Not with the merger going on. 

Then you pulled up Seto’s number, but you just couldn’t bring yourself to call it. Once Seto had become your direct supervisor, Mokuba had insisted on giving it to you, but you never wanted to use it. It would be so impolite for you to call the president directly, especially without him ever calling you first. But, Mokuba had asked you to keep an eye on this for him. They needed to know what was happening. With a grimace, you gathered your courage.

Then, you put away your phone and went into the legal department. You told yourself it wasn’t cowardice, you just needed to know all of the facts before you called. Seto would be very displeased if all the information you could tell him was that something went wrong.

As soon as you entered the legal department, you could tell that something was off. No one was panicking, but the tension was very high. You went to find Katagiri, the lawyer you had worked under as a temp. He was probably the best in the whole company. If anyone knew anything, he would. Katagiri was in his office, muttering darkly and chewing on a pen, so you knocked softly.

He glanced up quickly before going back to the file in front of him. “Oh, it’s you. What do you want?”

“Excuse me, Katagiri-san, but Vice-President Mokuba-san asked me to check into the TONOSAN case. I was hoping that you could fill me in on what’s happening.”

He clicked his tongue but did fill you in the details. Much of it was in complicated legalese, so you could barely follow. Katagiri-san didn’t bother trying to talk at the level of his audience and he had little patience. He didn’t sugarcoat things, either. Apparently, the bylaws forbade KaibaCorp from obtaining a company at TONOSAN’s level for tax reasons.

“I don’t understand how we could have overlooked this before,” said Katagiri from around his pen. “And I’m certain we’ve done something similar in the past. I simply can’t find those cases.”

“That sounds suspicious,” you mused.

Katagiri sat forward and looked at you levelly. “So, you think it could be sabotage, too.”

“Perhaps. It’s too early to tell. If we’ve been able to make similar mergers before, what is it about this particular acquisition that someone would want to ruin it?” 

“Not much,” said Katagiri. “There isn’t a rival company bidding for it. All I can think of is that it is a bit objectionable because it would cause us to close down several of their production plants, but that isn’t unique to this case. It would only make sense if it was someone who had a personal interest in TONOSAN or one of the plants.”

You chewed a lip thoughtfully. “And we don’t know who that would be, although…” you trailed off. 

“Yes?”

Shaking your head, you answered, “It’s just a hunch. I don’t want to accuse without evidence.” You stood, bowing to Katagiri. “Thank you for your help. If I turn out to be correct, I may need to rely on you again.” Katagiri just nodded solemnly before going back to his file.

Next, you checked with a few other people that were involved with the deal. None of them knew what went wrong, and none of them could get a hold of Mokuba, either. Then, you went down to HR to get some information on Uesugi, the new employee. Normally, they wouldn’t share anything with you, but since you’d made a few friends in this department you were able to get enough information that you could take to IT. 

It was the end of the day, so there wasn’t anyone there except for Department Head Misaki. He often took on projects by himself, even though he frequently needed to stay behind to work on them. It was one of the reasons you got along well during your time under him. When you entered his office he held up a hand, telling you to wait one moment.

“Excuse me, Department Head Misaki-san,” you said with a bow. “I didn’t realize it was getting so late. I can come back in the morning.”

“No,” he said, reading through a few more lines before closing the tab. “I’m done. What do you need? 

You sat in the chair he offered. “I was hoping to borrow Hojo-san for a while. We have a small issue and I need someone discreet that can help me gather some evidence.”

“Hojo is one of my best,” Misaki said, raising an eyebrow. “He’s currently doing some auxiliary code for President Kaiba-san.”

You shifted. “I wouldn’t ask to take him away from his normal work if it wasn’t important.” Misaki waited for you to continue. “Vice-president Mokuba-san’s project isn’t going through. I think someone may be behind it. Mokuba-san wouldn’t make a mistake like this, and on top of that, no one can contact either executive. I have a hunch on who could be behind it, but I need help confirming it. It will probably take quite a bit of research to get to the truth.”

Misaki nodded thoughtfully. “In that case, I shall do it myself.” He noted your surprise. “What? I still have it in me to do something like this. Besides the fact that I’m still here and we won’t need to wait until morning; we need to figure this out as soon as possible, right? Just tell me where to start.”

“Thank you.” You handed over a file on Uesugi. “Please do your best to find out who this is and why he’d want to halt this acquisition. I would start by looking at people who would be affected by TONOSAN’s plant closures.” He took the file and started to flip through it. “In the meantime,” you said, going to a nearby empty desk and firing up the computer there, “I will go through Mokuba-san’s files and notes to see if I can find out how he intended to circumvent the precluding bylaws.”

Department Head Misaki and you worked in relative silence until he gave out a strangled groan. You got up to see what was the matter. Misaki pointed to the screen. “This guy doesn’t exist. The false information is pretty good, but here, you can see that this transcript comes from a school that stopped offering the course he took two years before he claims to have graduated. I suppose I could see if any of the calls or emails he originated from KaibaCorp are connected to any of his true information, but it will take a while.”

“No, maybe you should start from somewhere else.” You had hoped to keep from making this accusation, but it looked like the most expedient option. “Check out board member Takaya and his connection to the closures and our false employee.” 

For your part, you never did find anything in Mokuba’s files that mentioned the issue with the bylaws. You switched focus, instead trying to determine when the bylaws were set and what information about TONOSAN was relevant. Eventually, through your own digging, you found that the financial report on Mokuba’s USB drive wasn’t the same as the one available in KaibaCorp’s system. Someone had definitely falsified this information on purpose. 

“You were right,” said Misaki with a yawn. “Takaya’s sister-in-law’s brother is an engineering manager for TONOSAN. He has a son who fits Uesugi’s description.”

“So, they were afraid he’d lose his job and wanted to stop the acquisition.” You looked at Misaki as he took off his glasses to rub his eyes. “We should keep working if we want to handle this before Senya rejects the deal, but I’ll understand if you need to go home and rest.”

“Nonsense. If you’re not going home, neither will I.”

Together, you worked to gather all the evidence that Takaya and Uesugi had a conflict of interest and were sabotaging the deal. You also called in Katagiri and finance officer Murata in order to work through a plan you began to formulate. 

You had moved your group into a conference room so that once employees started to arrive they wouldn’t overhear what was happening. Your plan was really starting to come together, but you couldn’t do much without approval. Several times throughout the process your team had tried various ways to contact the Kaibas. You had even worked up the courage to call Seto’s number directly, but nothing was getting through. The saboteurs must have blocked their communications, but Misaki hadn’t been able to undo it. You had no choice but to continue on. If Seto had a problem with the way things were handled you would have to deal with it later. 

You were taking a small break and brooding on whether you could even do this when Department Head Ito barged into the conference room. “Katagiri,” he shouted, “what is going on? We were supposed to have a meeting about the new ad campaign, but instead, you’re goofing off in here.”  
Katagiri just grunted and ignored him. You put down your drink and stood. “Department Head Ito-san, I called an emergency meeting to address a confidential issue. I apologize that it has affected you, but—”

“You called?” Ito drew himself up haughtily. “You don’t have the authority to do that. This is about the acquisition deal that fell through, right? It isn’t your place to make these decisions, just wait until the big boys come back and they can deal with it then. Don’t cause the rest of the company problems just because you want to play CEO.”

Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, but you were instantly taken over by a fury so cold that it gave you goosebumps. “Ito-san,” you said crisply, “all of these people gathered here because they believe in Kaiba Corporation and want to do what they can to protect it and the vision of our executives. You want us to sit back and let someone else play with this company for their own desires?” You advanced on Ito, trying to skewer him with your glare. “Are you loyal to this company or not?” Ito stared at you, mouth flapping noiselessly. He clearly hadn’t expected you to have a rebuttal. “Whichever it is, I don’t care. Just stay out of the way.”

The finance officer, Murata, had come in while you were speaking but was forced out of the way by a red-faced Ito as he stomped out. She shook her head at the closing door before coming to speak to you. “We’ll be able to handle your proposal. If President Kaiba-san has an issue with it I’ll back you.”

The relief warmed you as your fury receded. “Then I guess it’s time for us to go.” You turned to Katagiri and Misaki, who were still building up the case against the saboteurs. “Hopefully, we’ll be back soon with a witness.”

As predicted, Uesugi hadn’t come into work. Together with Murata, you left and went to his apartment. When he answered the door, he forced a cough. “I didn’t think KaibaCorp would be so stringent as to check on people taking their sick days.”

“We’re here to ask you to be a witness against Takaya-san when we remove him from the board of directors.” He tried to close the door while you were talking, but you stepped forward. “Don’t worry, I’ve figured out a way that this can be mutually beneficial.” He stopped closing the door, but he still looked skeptical. “Listen, either way, we have the information needed to prosecute you. But, if you work with us, you might still get some of the things that you want.”

Uesugi looked back and forth between you for a minute, before nodding and letting you inside. His apartment was sparse; he hadn’t intended on staying around after he halted the merger. He set out a few seats and you all knelt at his low table. Murata began pulling out documents and spreading them out. 

As he read looked them over, Uesugi began to pale. “So you completely figured us out.” He started to tremble, but he met your gaze steadily. “You want to make a deal?”

You smiled. “In a way. We’re reversing the damage from your sabotage right now. Nothing more needs to be done there. However, we’re also calling an emergency meeting of the board of directors where we will move to oust Takaya. It would go more smoothly if you would agree to be a witness to his misconduct.”

“He’s like my uncle…”

Murata leaned forward. “You came up with this scheme to help your family, right? That’s failed. KaibaCorp will shut down some of TONOSAN’s production plants and move those lines to a KC facility. However, you can still do something, not to help just your family, but others’ as well.” 

“How?”

She pulled one more paper out of her briefcase and passed it over. “It would be a shame to lose all the experience TONOSAN’s employees have gained on that equipment. Therefore, the people displaced by the plant shut-downs will have the first opportunity to apply for the new jobs at the KC facilities, with the appropriate pay raises.”

Uesugi read the paper hungrily. “But you can’t just expect people to pick up their entire families—”

“Not even if Kaiba Corporation covers the moving costs?” Uesugi’s head shot up. Murata smiled and continued, “Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee a new job for everyone, but for those willing to make the move, KaibaCorp can make the necessary provisions.” 

“And you won’t prosecute me?”

You and Murata exchanged a glance, and you decided to answer yourself. “We can’t guarantee that. You know our CEO isn’t very forgiving. This deal might not save you, but it could save someone else.”

He ground the heel of his hand into his forehead as he thought it over. “Yeah, yeah. Okay,” he said, pulling over the agreement Katagiri drafted and signing it. 

“This is a good decision,” you said as you rose from the table. “We need you to come to the office this afternoon. We’re meeting with Takaya to see if he will resign quietly, but we’ll need you at the governance committee meeting first.” Once Murata was ready, Uesugi showed you to the door. “Oh, and if you could reverse whatever is keeping us from contacting Kaiba-san, that would be great. Our guys are having a bit of trouble with your encryption.”

Uesugi had the audacity to look a little flattered. “Right. I’ll get on that.”

On the way back to back to KaibaCorp, Murata made you stop at a salon. You tried to protest that you didn’t have time, but she insisted. “The board won’t risk a scandal and remove Takaya just because you say so. You’ll have to make a case in front of the committee. They’ll take you more seriously if you look clean-cut and presentable.”

“I took a shower in the KaibaCorp changing room,” you said feebly. Then, “Wait, I’m making the case? I thought you, or Katagiri-san, or…”

She raised a perfect eyebrow. “Are you afraid? What happened to all that hard talk about ‘protecting the vision of our executives?’ Just go in there with that same energy and it will be fine.”

“But, you’re my senior. Can’t you do this for me just this once?” You did your best to look endearing and sweet.

She smiled fondly and patted you on the head. “No way. Mokuba-san asked you to look over the deal. You figured out who was behind the sabotage. You figured out how to solve it. You’re going to finish the job and convince the board to eject Takaya. And if Kaiba-san is upset about how this was handled, you’re going to take the fall.” 

She hit your biggest anxiety. There was a high chance that Seto would take issue with you stepping up and handling this on your own. “I thought you said you’d support me!”

“I’ll support you if he doesn’t think we have the funds to pay for moving expenses. For the rest of it, you’re on your own. So get cleaned up and I’ll meet you back at the office.”

“Murata-san,” you whined, but couldn’t talk anymore because the stylist was ready for you. He was very good. Not only was the styling subtle and classy, but it also made you feel refreshed and confident. You needed the boost. Getting very little sleep the night before didn’t help your mood and energy and the next part of the plan would require you to be sharp.

The easiest and best thing would be for Takaya to resign from the board peacefully. If they had to remove him forcefully, then both he and KaibaCorp’s reputation would suffer. All you had to do was convince them that they had enough of a case to get rid of him anyway, and he should—should step down.

You hustled back to KaibaCorp to meet with the governance committee before he arrived. You clearly didn’t have the authority to make decisions about the board, so the committee would review the case and technically be the ones to call for Takaya’s resignation. Murata and Katagiri had assured you that they could gather a quorum of board members for today; The quarterly meeting was supposed to have happened around now anyway, but with Seto, the chairman, gone it had been postponed. 

The confidence your new styling gave you fizzled when you were actually at the front of the conference room, staring at the group of middle-aged men. These were all very important people and they had no clue who you were or why they should listen to you. Thankfully, despite Murata’s words, both she and Katagiri were present, although they stood at the back. Uesugi wasn’t here yet. He might not show up after all. That was disappointing—the case would be stronger with him present—but he had already signed the document stating that he admitted to the wrongdoing and would act as a witness against Takaya.

Before starting, you took a moment to think about how much Mokuba’s work had meant to him. You had gotten in the way of his work before, but now you had the chance to make up for it. The deal had already been put back on track, but now you needed to make sure that something like this couldn’t happen again. Once you had strengthened your resolve, you succinctly laid out the case of Takaya’s misconduct and conflict of interest. You distributed the evidence and let each member of the committee ask questions. 

Mid-meeting, Uesugi did arrive and was quickly besieged with questions. Thankfully, there wasn’t too much outrage against him. You identified with him a bit; being outed for using a false identity for employment was your regular nightmare. Instead, most of the conversation amongst the committee centered around Takaya and what should be done. 

Your role was over. The committee would be the ones to decide whether or not to actually ask for Takaya’s resignation. There were a few people who thought that, since Takaya’s betrayal was of a personal nature and thus unlikely to continue, he should be able to stay. However, most were of the opinion that they couldn’t set a precedent of letting saboteurs keep their positions. They finally took a vote and, per the bylaws, reached the decision of removing Takaya. Standing next to Uesugi, you tried to keep your feelings of triumph and relief off of your face. 

During a small break while you waited for Takaya to arrive, you turned to Uesugi. “Are you doing alright?” you asked quietly.

He gave you a dirty look. “What sort of question is that? What happened to that hard attitude you brought to my apartment?”

“It’s not like I don’t understand why you did it.”

Uesugi shifted. “I guess I’m not doing as badly as I anticipated. You know, it helps to know that at least someone will benefit from this.” He closed his mouth tightly before opening it again slightly and mumbling, “So thanks for that.”

“We don’t want to put people out of jobs, but that’s the nature of business sometimes.”

His mouth twisted like he didn’t believe you, but he said, “I wish it didn’t have to come down on Takaya-san, though. He was only trying to help out his family.”

“He knew the consequences of being found out and accepted that risk. A good reason doesn’t erase wrongdoing.”

Uesugi looked at you askance. “Are you really so innocent that you can make statements like that?”

Your chest tightened suddenly as the back of your neck grew hot, although you did your best to keep your expression neutral. Did he know something about you? No, it was a blanket statement that could apply to anyone. “Maybe it’s because I’m not too innocent that I know you need to accept your consequences,” you said, a little more sharply than you intended.

He rolled his eyes. “Relax. I get it.” 

Still upset, you left to go stand with Katagiri. Murata had left once the governance committee reached their decision, but Katagiri needed to stay to oversee the proceedings and make sure that the resignation letter they would give Takaya to sign was correct. No one objected to you staying, which was a relief, because you wanted to see this through. You hoped that he would agree, just as Uesugi had, that your solution was a good compromise and step down quietly. 

Five minutes before the break ended, a secretary came into the conference room. “Takaya-sama has arrived,” she said with a bow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Surprise meetings are never good things, are they?


	18. Achievement Unlocked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've opened this can of worms, now lie in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: You made sure that Mokuba's project succeeded, and convinced the governance committee to remove Takaya from the board of directors.

The governance committee was tense when Takaya entered the conference room, smiling jovially. “Good afternoon, everyone,” he said, dropping into the seat set up for him on the far side of the long table. “I wish I’d known a little earlier that we rescheduled the board meeting.” He leaned back in his chair and surveyed the room. “So, our Chairman couldn’t make it today. He usually takes issue when we proceed without him.”

“Katagiri-san,” you whispered, “doesn’t he know why he’s here?” Katagiri shook his head, telling you to be silent. 

“Kaiba-san couldn’t make it back in time,” said the head of the governance committee, “but this couldn’t wait. Takaya-san, we asked you here today to address your misconduct regarding the TONOSAN deal. We have compiled the evidence against you and have come to the decision to request your resignation. The letter is in front of you, please read it over and sign.”

Takaya barely glanced at the paper before looking at the committee as if they were naughty children. “You really want to do this, huh? Ah, Tetsu-kun,” he said, acknowledging Uesugi, “They got you into this too? I am sorry for that.”

“Then sign that letter, Uncle,” said Uesugi. “We didn’t win this fight, but they did make some concessions so in light of their evidence we—”

“So, they won you over with some piddling promise, did they? Let me guess, some sort of monetary compensation, as usual, right?” He pouted at Uesugi. “Did you hear that from Seto Kaiba himself? If not, guess what? He can undo anything they promised you. And he will. He doesn’t trifle with saboteurs anymore.”

“Takaya,” said one of the committee members, “does this mean that you won’t resign peacefully?”

“Hmm.” He brought his palms together, resting his index fingers in front of his mouth. “I won’t.” There was a clamor as almost everyone on the committee tried to say something at once. While the person in charge tried to restore order, Takaya grinned smugly. 

“Katagiri-san,” you whispered, “what can we do?”

Katagiri gnashed his teeth even though the pen he usually chewed was in his pocket. “Nothing. If he wants to start a scandal, that’s what he’ll do.”

Once the room was calm, the man in charge addressed Takaya. “We deserve to know the reason you would turn your back on us like this.”

Takaya’s sly expression finally dissipated. “I finally realized what Kaiba Corporation really is: a bully. We think that we can do whatever we want without consequences. I’m saddened that it took me this long to realize that we’re hurting real people. That’s why even if I couldn’t save TONOSAN, I will not step down quietly. The press would love to cover this story. A simple man,” he said, indicating himself with a flourish, “who tried to stand in the way of a heartless corporation that wanted to put people out of work all while the CEO and President vacations abroad. And by the time Kaiba returns the damage will be out of his control.” 

The room was silent for a few seconds as Takaya’s declaration sunk in, but then the screen on the conference room wall behind him turned on. It was a video call from Seto with Mokuba sitting next to him. “Is that so?” Seto asked glibly as Takaya whipped around. “What a coincidence. I, myself, have just contacted the press about a backstabbing traitor in my board of directors. Well, Takaya? Want to make a bet on whose version of events will hit the news first?”

A feral look broke through the haughtiness on Takaya’s face. He glared at Uesugi. “You,” he hissed, “you said that even if we were caught, that you wouldn’t unblock their communications.”

Seto laughed. “It seems that your relative has more sense than you do, Takaya. He called me himself to tell me about the situation.”

“No!” Takaya stood to address the camera. “Even if you go to the news first, everyone will still see that I was trying to save jobs while you were going to terminate them. It will still look bad for you.”

“Takaya, you really don’t know anything, do you?” asked Mokuba with a sigh. “TONOSAN was dead weight. So much so that in another few years Senya Corporation would have to drop it anyway. Then all of those people would still be out of a job. This deal is saving TONOSAN and some of its employees. Yes, some will lose their jobs, but nearly as many will be able to transfer employment to KaibaCorp.”

Takaya hunched over, shaking with fury. He could still go to the press. Doubtless, the conflicting stories would cause Kaiba Corporation’s reputation to fall, but it wouldn’t be as big of a hit, and he would have no protection from the legal ramifications. 

“Well, Takaya? You’d better make a decision soon,” goaded Seto, “our yacht leaves in a few minutes, and at that time I won’t be able to call the news outlets to halt my story.”

Literally growling with frustration, Takaya snatched the letter and signed it with all of his strength. “There, fine. I tender my resignation from the board of directors. Is that all?” Katagiri stepped forward to retrieve the letter and, after a quick glance to make sure that he hadn’t added anything to the contents, nodded solemnly. Takaya turned to leave, but at the last moment looked at Uesugi. “And you, Tetsu, I no longer consider part of my family. Don’t appear in front of me again.” He left, slamming the door.

“Well, now that we’re rid of the trash, we need to discuss a replacement,” said Seto. “Time for the background characters to leave.” It was hard to tell where he was looking from the video, but when his gaze shifted a jolt shot through you. 

You and Uesugi gave small bows and left; Katagiri would stay behind to enforce the bylaws while they discussed a new board member. Out in the hall, you made an effort to relax and calm your beating heart. There was no way Seto wouldn’t have found out your involvement anyway, but actually witnessing you at the committee meeting was a surprise. 

Once you’d calmed down a little, you looked over at Uesugi. Surprisingly, he just walked next to you stoically. “Uesugi-kun, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Hm? Yes, considering,” he said, although he almost ran into someone walking the other direction. 

“I mean, your family member just disowned you, that has to be a shock.”

Uesugi tore his gaze away from the far end of the hall. “We weren’t close family. I had never met him before my mother introduced us when we decided to do something about the merger. And, I anticipated it would happen when I called President Kaiba-san.”

“That surprised me,” you admitted. “I wouldn’t have been brave enough to do it.”

He shook his head slightly. “You reminded me that Kaiba-san wasn’t very merciful. I decided that taking initiative to reverse my own actions would be the best way to get myself on his good side. It might not work, but it was better than waiting for the blade to fall.”

“You never know, President Kaiba-san is beyond understanding. He could do anything. If he’s impressed by the work you did blocking our communications, he might offer you a job.”

Uesugi snorted. “Yeah, right.”

You fidgeted. “By the way, what exactly did you tell Kaiba-san when you called? I just—I mean, I can’t imagine that conversation going well.”

“It didn’t. He nearly hung up on me, but once I mentioned that one of his employees was taking charge of his company he gave me the time to explain.”

Panic gripped you, “Sorry, what, um, what did you say about his employee?”

Uesugi stared at you suspiciously. “Me, dumbass. What, do you have something to feel guilty about?”

You shoved your panic back down into your soul and pulled up an aloof expression. “I don’t. I was just concerned about the lies you might have told to make yourself look better.”

“Right.” He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t lie about anything. There’s no point. Kaiba-san will find out everything anyway.”

You swallowed thickly. “Yes, yes that’s true,” you said as you reached your floor. You said goodbye to Uesugi who was going home to “await his legal summons.”

The most you could do now was take care of any loose ends from the TONOSAN deal and get back to your regular work. You wouldn’t know until later if Seto would end their trip early so it was pointless to worry about what consequences you were going to face. That didn’t stop you, though.

At first, your goal after leaving Hakato’s compound was to live safely and comfortably. But ever since you discovered that there was something you could do, something that you were good at, you wanted to push your boundaries. That’s why you accepted the challenge of working for KaibaCorp, despite the risk. Now you had to wonder if you’d pushed too far by fighting this battle; it really wasn’t your place to handle the sabotage.

You thought back to the altercation with Department Head Ito, and how angry you had gotten. Maybe it was silly to want to protect KaibaCorp, even with what little you could do, but this job was important to you. It was something you worked for and grasped completely by your own abilities. It was proof that you could live a productive life and take care of yourself. Maybe Seto would understand that and maybe he wouldn’t, but it was your only defense.

There was plenty of time to ruminate over your fate because Seto and Mokuba did not cut their vacation short. Most of KaibaCorp had not been affected by the TONOSAN deal so it was relatively easy to just slip back into your normal work. As time passed, you grew more and more nervous. There wasn’t a good reason for it; everything had worked out fine in the end and the replacement for the board of directors was even more suitable than Takaya had been, but there was really no telling how Seto would react. 

“Wait, wait, wait,” said Hanako when you invited her over to catch up and vent about what had happened. “Go back to the part about Ito. He said what?”

“Basically to leave it to the ‘big boys.’”

“What a blowhard!” Hanako grabbed another beer and cracked the tab viciously. “He always had a reputation, but what about ‘not your place?’ It isn’t his place to admonish you, either!” She ended her exclamation with a long, fizzling groan and chugged half of the can. “Why aren’t you angrier at him?”

You poured Hanako some water and brought out another plate of snacks. If she kept drinking like this you would need to get some more. “With you getting so fired up for me, what’s the point?”

She stuck out her chin in a fake pout. “I care about you. You’ve had a hard time of it and you deserve some respect. Who’s going to give it to you if not for me?” She tapped her phone on the table. “Irie clearly isn’t and Kaiba is right out.” Not expecting her to mention Seto, you started, which grabbed her attention. “Eh? Is there something you’re not telling me? Did Kaiba do something to you again?”

Hanako had already heard about Irie’s issues during the party, but you hadn’t brought up your episode and conversation with Seto yet. “He didn’t do anything bad at all, which is what is so weird about it!” Hanako rested her chin in her hands and watched you carefully. You got up to pace in order to avoid her gaze. “You know, he said something that made me think that he finally believes me about my amnesia but it’s like, when did that start?”

“A good question,” said Hanako.

“He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world so I didn’t realize at first, but you know, he’s called me some pretty awful things before because he thought I was lying. Now I’m supposed to believe that he’s fine with it? That he’s just going to validate my existence and lend me hankies?”

“Wait, what? No, now you have to tell me specifics.”

You tried to figure out the best way to summarize it. “The party had a lot to deal with emotionally, and I kind of broke down in the hallway. Seto saw it and lent me a handkerchief until I calmed down. We ended up talking about my amnesia and he actually said some nice things. That I’m allowed to just move forward with the life I’ve made for myself.”

Hanako nodded sagely. “Yeah, I agree with that.” She frowned down at her mobile phone for a moment and muttered, “Ugh, Irie, I might have to change ships.” She glanced up and saw that you’d heard. “Well, never mind. So Kaiba sat with you and cheered you up, did he?”

“In a way? I’m sure that it’s because it was Mokuba’s birthday party and he didn’t want me screwing it up with my issues so he did what he needed to get me to calm down, but would he really? Why not just throw me out and say I left with Irie? Maybe,” you said, turning to Hanako with fire in your eyes, “it was to make me relax enough to slip up before he slammed me—”

Hanako’s smiled broadly, waving her hand to encourage you to keep going. “Yes, yeah,”

You slapped your hand on the table, “—with a surprise investigation and termination.”

She slouched with a sigh. “Er, could be.”

“And now I’ve given him cause,” you groaned.

Hanako pouted for a minute. Then she turned to you with a fierce look. “It’s about time we had The Talk.”

“The talk? I know how sex works.”

“No,” she said, the glint in her eye scaring you a little. “Love talk. I know you said that you didn’t want a relationship; has that changed? Is there anyone you have your eye on? You didn’t outright reject Irie yet, right?”

You recoiled. “Whoa, Hanako-chan. One at a time, please. 

“To begin with, I didn’t want a relationship because I didn’t understand myself and I still don’t. It’s unfair to burden someone with my issues because I wouldn’t have the resources to understand that person properly. Also, time. I’ve been so busy with work, how could I have a relationship? I deal with enough guilt about not making enough time for Tatsu, much less another person.”

“What you said isn’t wrong,” Hanako mused tapping on her phone absently, “but you don't have to be without issues to have a relationship; you just have to find someone who will love you in spite of them. And about work, you said that it’s slowing down, right?”

“It is. Most of the most pressing issues within KaibaCorp have been dealt with, so now I just have to keep on top of things and fine-tune the small problems that pop up all the time.”

She smiled slyly. “That means you have more time for relationships. And you haven’t told me if there’s someone you have your eye on.” She set her phone down on the table in order to pin you with prying eyes. 

The heat rose to your face under her scrutiny and you couldn’t quite meet her gaze. “I don’t—it’s been the furthest thing from my mind. So, no, there isn’t anyone.”

“And rejecting Irie?”

You pulled a face. “He said he didn’t need an answer; I took that as a plea to NOT give him one.” You dragged your hand over your forehead and onto your hair. “I tried to avoid his confession. Now he’s gone past the point of no return, but I’m not willing to go with him. I want to value his friendship. He’s always been kind to me and I don’t have a lot of people I can confide in. But at this point it’s more taxing trying to make it work than it would be to break it off.”

Hanako picked up her phone held it to her ear. “So that’s how it is, Irie-kun. Make sure you reflect upon your mistakes properly! Bye-bye,” she chirped.

Cold dread dripped down your back. “What? Hanako-chan, tell me you’re kidding.” She held out her phone so you snatched it and looked at the call log. The call was real. “Why? What? Why?”

She shrugged offhandedly and took back her phone. “He was too chicken to talk to you and you’re too considerate to tell him how you really feel to his face. I might have helped Irie before, but I’m rooting for _you_ , you know. If you don’t want his advances, I’ll support you. I’ll support you if you find someone you do want advances from. You know, someone who validates you and lends you hankies.”

If you protested too much, Hanako would only take that as confirmation, so you just narrowed your eyes wickedly. “Ah, yes, this,” you pointed at the picture of devil Seto, “is clearly the man of my dreams. So knock it off or you’re going to give me nightmares.”

You did have a nightmare that night, but it was too amorphous and fleeting to remember anything about in the morning. It was probably just stress; Seto and Mokuba were due back at work today. There was a slight chance that they extended their vacation and a bigger chance that Seto wouldn’t have time to deal with you anyway, but you didn’t allow yourself to hope too much. And indeed, when you arrived at your office one of the secretaries gave you a message that you were required at a meeting that afternoon. So much for that. 

You were a little surprised that Seto wanted to see you in the boardroom rather than his office, but you hoped that meant you weren’t in too much trouble. After all, Katakura could see through the windows, so if he wanted to blow up at you he’d have a witness. However, as soon as the elevator door opened, you nearly flew into a panic. Of course, the meeting was in the boardroom because the whole board was there. You were early and they were in the middle of a deep discussion, so you stiffly walked over to Katakura.

“I didn’t know that my meeting was right after a board meeting. That explains why Kaiba-san isn’t meeting with me in his office like normal,” you said, hoping that he would agree.

Katakura turned to you with a flat look, but before he could say anything, the phone rang and he picked it up. “They’re ready for you.”

You took advantage of the fact that you were facing away from the boardroom windows to smooth every trace of panic from your face. If you were the subject of an inquiry, you would just have to face it with dignity. Then, squaring your shoulders and taking a deep breath, you walked into the boardroom with all the confidence you could manage. 

They directed you to sit in a chair at the far side of the table, directly across from Seto, who looked at you emotionlessly. Mokuba was there at Seto’s immediate right and he winked at you. The rest of the board studied you as per their personalities before the most junior member started the meeting. 

It wasn’t what you expected. At first, they didn’t mention the merger or anything that had happened with Takaya. Instead, they pulled up information at your time at KaibaCorp, going over numbers related to your projects and discussing the success and failures of your strategies. Most of the board members took turns asking questions about your work, though Seto and Mokuba were notably silent. Perhaps they were weighing the benefit of keeping you versus the weight of your mistake.

“One final question,” said the one running the meeting. He gestured to the board member who had replaced Takaya. “We’re all aware of the extra work you’ve done recently for Kaiba Corporation. Please tell us why you would go so far.”

You took a moment to drink from the cup Katakura had brought you midway, although the tea inside it had gone cold. “Kaiba Corporation means a lot to me. It isn’t just a job; it is the job. I can’t imagine what it would be like to work somewhere else; I wouldn’t want to. My career here is exactly what I was looking for. This company is like a huge machine; it’s been an honor to work here, fine-tuning the parts to help it run smoothly and efficiently. When I found out that someone was trying to harm Kaiba Corporation,” you looked at each board member with fire in your eyes, “I couldn’t let it go on, even long enough for President Kaiba-san and Vice-President Mokuba-san to return.” Most of the board members regarded you thoughtfully during your speech, although you had been too afraid to look directly in Seto’s direction. Mokuba gave you a thumbs-up.

“Thank you,” said the board member. “We’ll need a few minutes to deliberate. Please wait outside.”

You bowed to the board and left quickly, immediately heading to the restroom. You patted cold water onto the back of your neck to help yourself calm down, feeling sick with nerves. It was hard to tell what the board thought during your inquiry. Mokuba seemed relaxed, which was good, but ultimately, if the board and Seto wanted you fired there was nothing he could do. 

After your nerves had calmed a little, you went out to the sitting area across from Katakura’s desk and sat with your back to the boardroom. You could feel eyes upon your back, but you didn’t have the courage to see who they belonged to. It only took a few minutes before they called you back in. The boardroom was so silent you could hear the ticking of watches. You returned to your seat and sat stiffly, awaiting their verdict. Would you be fired, or would it just be a light punishment? 

Eventually, the one who had led the meeting stood. “We the board have reached a decision; in light of your work record, as well as your acumen during recent events, we approve your appointment as Chief Operations Officer.” You tried to hide your bewilderment as he continued. “Do you accept?” 

Frozen, you just managed to look at Mokuba. He was smiling broadly and nodding encouragingly. Then, you forced yourself to look at Seto properly. You couldn’t read his expression. His face was blank, but his aura felt dangerous. That’s so confusing! He could have vetoed the decision if he hated it, but your instincts were warning you away. 

“Your answer?” prompted the board member. “If you need some time to think it over that’s understandable, but if you’re not willing…”

Screw it, you couldn’t pass up this chance. “I’m willing,” you said emphatically. “Pardon me, I was just so astounded by the honor. Thank you very much for this opportunity.”

“Then, with that settled, this meeting is adjourned.”

You stood with everyone else. The board members came to congratulate you as they left one by one. It must have been a close decision; it seemed like half of the board members shook your hand only grudgingly. You were still confused, but you did your best to appear as ecstatic and self-assured as they obviously expected you to be. At last, you were left with only Seto and Mokuba.

“Congratulations,” gushed Mokuba as he came in for a hug. 

You finally relaxed a fraction, although the adrenaline still made you shake. “What was that?” you asked into his hair. “I thought this was an inquiry, not an interview. I don’t understand.” You pulled away. “Of course I’m grateful, but why me? I didn’t even know you were looking for a COO.”

“We weren’t,” said Seto archly. Ah, now the hammer would fall. “But for _some reason_ , my Vice-President hasn’t been able to put in as many hours recently. I had come to rely on his hard work, and the burden of picking up his slack has started to put a strain on me.” As if anyone would really believe that, especially with the smug look on Seto’s face. “In order to alleviate some of my stress, I thought I should find someone willing and capable to shoulder some of the administrative and representative burdens.” The amused glint in his eye brought back your nerves. “As for why you, I think you’ve proven yourself _deserving_ of the position.”

You didn’t like the way he said that—as if this promotion might be somewhat of a punishment for you. How much was Seto planning to pile onto you? He had said “representative” burden. It was common knowledge that he didn’t like the routine events he was expected to attend, so would it now be your responsibility to represent KaibaCorp in his place? And although you never expected him to hand over administrative control, you had picked up that he liked research and development. He might use this opportunity to seize more time for his creative outlets, but only if he was assured that you would handle things to his satisfaction. And truthfully, he did have more control over you than he might with any other candidate. The reality of just how hard this promotion might be crashed over you.

“Mokuba,” you pleaded, looking up at him. “You’re going to help me with this, right?”

He smirked down at you, his face mirroring Seto’s. “I told you when I was taller than you that you were going to regret it, didn’t I?” Ahh, it was true. He had grown during that vacation, just enough. What had you agreed to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Not everyone is on board with the board's decision.
> 
> Have you ever wanted to ask an In Keeping with Kaiba character a question? You can! Just head on over to my tumblr's [ask box](https://silvermalkin.tumblr.com/ask) and address your inquiry to whichever character you want to answer! [(conditions may apply)](https://silvermalkin.tumblr.com/post/184398813399/ive-had-some-new-followers-since-the-last-time-i)


	19. Rumor Mill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being COO is difficult, and you haven't even begun, yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Seto "rewarded" your initiative in ousting Takaya with a promotion

Although the interview and appointment to Chief Operations Officer had happened in the span of an hour, it was going to take a few months before you actually began in your new position. There was quite a bit of internal finagling that needed to be done, as well as the public’s viewpoint to consider. Seto wanted to wait a while before informing the press of your promotion to keep the connection with Takaya’s resignation under wraps. 

You needed to do quite a bit of preparation, yourself. As soon as you’d left the boardroom after your promotion, Katakura had offered you a packet with details on Kaiba Corporation’s special course. Because of your high-profile position, they were requiring you to take the basics of self- and cyber-defense. You had heard about the “underground” school that turned out KaibaCorp’s security forces but never thought that you’d experience it yourself. It was a bit exciting; although not impossible, regular employees rarely got clearance to join. 

Isono was the one to escort you to the special facility and give you a little tour. “While it is unlikely that you will be targeted specifically, there is always the chance that you will get caught up in something. Especially now that you’re a representation of the company. You’ve already been through that, though.”

Most people didn’t know that Hakato had shot you on purpose. “Yeah,” you said, rubbing the gunshot scar. Your arm still wasn’t up to full strength and lately, you had been neglecting some of your physical therapy. 

He brought you into a large room, where several people were training with various techniques of hand-to-hand fighting. “We’ve determined right now that there is no need for you to have a dedicated bodyguard. Still, I’d like to introduce you to our top operatives, since you’ll need to work with them when they secure outside engagements. At least one of them is included in every security detail.” He indicated each person as he said their names, but they didn’t halt their training. “Kobayashi, Suzumura, Morikawa, Sakurai, Konishi, and Aono. All of them are most excellent, especially Sakurai, although he is rather, ah, hard to deal with.” 

The one Isono had indicated as Sakurai was currently pinned under Suzumura and he didn’t look too bothered about getting up. Isono noticed your doubtful look. “It’s difficult to motivate him, but once he’s on task he is incredibly dangerous. We’re glad to have him on the team.”

“As for you,” he continued, “I’ll have Kobayashi help you train in self-defense against armed and unarmed attackers.” 

Kobayashi finished throwing her sparring partner and came over to join you. When she did, you could see that she had a similar stature to yours, although she was clearly much stronger. “It’s great to meet you,” she said with a friendly smile. “I look forward to working with you.”

“Please take care of me.”

Kobayashi did take care of you, although hers was a tough kind of love. Once you started training, she was merciless about getting you through the exercises. “You’re too slow! Hesitation in situations like this will cost you your life. If someone is attacking you, react. Don’t waste time trying to judge how much force is necessary. I’m training you so that the amount of force you use will be automatic. Do it again and don’t think about it this time!” She didn’t have much sympathy for your weak arm, either. “In a real fight for your life, you can’t stop even if you’re injured. If you don’t do the drills properly, then it’s the same as not doing them at all.”

Thankfully, your courses on cyber-security were much easier. They didn’t expect you to take care of the actual security yourself. All that they required was that you had a thorough understanding of how to keep from being a risk and making their jobs harder. 

There was also training with Public Relations. It made you nervous to think of representing KaibaCorp at a public function; if you screwed up, Seto would be the one to face humiliation over it. Not even Mokuba could save you from his wrath, then. 

Once again, you found yourself with a packed schedule. It concerned you how you felt almost relieved by it. You would have taken the time to decipher what that meant and whether it was good or bad, but the special training was taking a lot out of you. Between the exhausting physical regimen and the preparations for ending your current position and taking up the duties of COO, you fell asleep almost as soon as you returned home every night. 

Your first meeting with Seto since the appointment had you almost as nervous as the first one you’d had after he found out you were working at KaibaCorp. You were ostensibly going over the duties he would start transferring over to you, but you prepared yourself for all sorts of backlash. 

In order to sweeten Seto’s mood, you took extra care with his cup of coffee. When it was perfect, you brought it into him carefully. You didn’t want shaking hands to betray your nerves. He barely looked up at you as you set it on his desk. “My apologies,” you said, “it took me a bit longer to brew this today.”

“Are you telling me that you’re still doing that yourself?”

You froze, halfway to your chair. “The—the coffee?” He couldn’t be serious. He was _requiring_ you to—

“It’s hardly fitting of your position. You should have taught Katakura how to make it ages ago.”

Ah, there was that familiar writhing anger. “That was an option?” you asked, voice clipped.

“Clearly. I only care about the taste; I don’t care who makes it.”

“No, but—” you pulled yourself back from shouting, trying to tuck your outrage behind a professional mask. “You said I—"

Seto finally looked at you properly, raising an eyebrow. You faintly saw the corner of his smug smile. You dropped your eyes to the coffee cup as your mind whirled with his unspoken statement. The first time it had to be you if he was aiming for the taste he’d had at Hachimitsu House, but after that, you only needed to bring it when you started the meeting.

He looked smug as he turned back to his work. “Do you really think I’m so petty as to force you to make the coffee yourself every time?”

You bit down a resounding ‘yes.’ You had assumed that it was to humiliate you. No, that was certainly part of it, at least at first. And look how he’d succeeded; it was way more embarrassing to make the coffee the entire time when you could have easily coached Katakura and been done with it. 

But what stung more was the difference in emotional investment between you. You were so wrapped up in your bitterness towards him that you didn’t realize that Seto hadn’t been thinking about you. He didn’t know that you were still making the coffee and apparently he didn’t care. Your misplaced resentment burned and fizzled into mortification. 

Without any further preamble, Seto started the meeting. You did your best to hide the fact that your mind was reeling. He certainly had hated and resented you in the past, right? You didn’t imagine that. When did that change? What were his feelings towards you now, and how did your new promotion factor into that? What should your own feelings be from now on?

Somehow, you made it through the rest of the meeting in spite of the cloud of new questions that swirled around you. It seemed no matter how hard you tried, you could not figure out Seto Kaiba. All you could do was muddle on from this point and hope that the answers would come to you in time.

After some time had passed, Seto did a small interview with the Domino Chronicle about your appointment. You were almost too nervous to see his responses, but it might give you an insight into your promotion and Seto’s attitude towards you. On the day it ran, you rushed out to buy a paper and tore into it before you could change your mind.

> Kaiba Corporation announced its new COO Tuesday afternoon. The position had been vacant since Konosuke Oshita was fired several years ago for reasons unknown. Since then, the President and CEO, Seto Kaiba, has undertaken the administrative duties alone.
> 
> The appointment of a COO was a surprise after so long. Kaiba explained, “Kaiba Corporation’s growth has been held back by the fact that I’ve undertaken most of the minutiae alone. I had long considered a COO as a way to free myself to focus on the big picture for the company, but could not find anyone who wouldn’t seek to change KaibaCorp to suit their own goals. A fresh perspective can be good, but not at the expense of our current methodology.”
> 
> The new Operations Officer has been a management analyst with the company for only a few years. Kaiba is unbothered by her age and lack of experience. “The initiative and resourcefulness she’s shown within those years demonstrate that she can handle this role as well or better than someone with twice her age,” he said. Seto Kaiba, himself, became CEO as a teenager. 
> 
> Kaiba is notorious for running his company with an iron fist. Why would he suddenly allow someone else control over operations? “It’s true, I couldn’t let just anyone make decisions of this scale. Our new Operations Officer may have limited experience, but that means that she has grown while steeped in KaibaCorp culture. I am confident that she will handle affairs to my satisfaction,” he said.  
>  …

You put down the newspaper as it started to come together: Your “initiative.” He “couldn’t let just anyone” make large-scale decisions. He needed to cover up that you had acted to change his board of directors without his approval in order to keep anyone else from trying the same. If he had just fired you, it was as good as admitting that you were able to pull something over on him. Now, everyone would assume that you had already been in line for this position by the time the changes took place. It seems like everything was his idea all along.

So, you’d forced his hand. You weren’t going to waste this opportunity. It wouldn’t look good for Seto or KaibaCorp to fire the COO too soon after you’d been appointed. This gave you a chance to actually prove that you were good enough for the position and deserved to keep it. 

The picture of devil Kaiba caught your eye. Despite the nice things he said for the benefit of the journalist, you knew that Seto didn’t really think you could do this. However, if you managed it—if you could actually become an indispensable part of the company—there was still the chance that he might give you some genuine praise.

Now you would just have to do it. As a management analyst, you looked for problems in operations and worked with managers to address them. Now, you’d oversee operations in general, come up with new policies, and most taxingly, figure out ways to make Seto’s ideas happen. It was a big step that came with heaps more responsibility. If a particular department or sector were failing, Seto would turn sharp eyes upon you for an explanation. 

Thankfully, you wouldn’t quite be alone in tackling your new tasks. When Yamashita had asked if you had anyone in mind for a secretary, he had hardly finished speaking before you blurted out, “Satomi Aoki!” Luckily, she wasn’t in a specified role and readily accepted the position you offered her. 

“I’m thrilled you’re willing to take this on, but I want to be honest with you. We will be working very closely with President Kaiba-san and Katakura-san. If you don’t think you can handle the unique, uh, challenges, feel free to decline. No one will think less of you for preferring to keep your distance.”

She looked at you mildly. “What is wrong with Katakura-san?”

“Oh, nothing really. He’s a good secretary, but you know, he doesn’t go out of his way to make interactions with the president easier on anyone. Which is probably why he’s lasted as Kaiba-san’s assistant so long.” You didn’t mention the fact that he let you make coffee for a year when he could have offered to learn it from you. You were still bitter.

Aoki wasn’t deterred. She quickly moved to her station outside your new office. By the end of the day, she had a preliminary schedule drawn up to help you tackle your new responsibilities efficiently. She hadn’t even brought any of her personal items to her new desk yet. Tears pricked your eyes. It was nice to have someone to depend upon. 

In spite of Mokuba’s threat, he also went out of his way to stop by and help you with anything you had trouble with or answer any questions you were too afraid to ask Seto. Between him and Aoki, you started to have the confidence that you could transition to your new role without too much trouble.

The KaibaCorp rumor mill didn’t share your confidence. Although the news hadn’t made a huge deal about your promotion, probably due to Seto’s influence, the company as a whole went crazy. Huge, sudden changes in leadership weren’t new to Kaiba Corporation, but one hadn’t happened for a very long time. No one had forgotten how you started as a temp and suddenly became a management analyst, and now you’d made a jump to the C-suite. You weren’t surprised to hear loud whispers about how you were going to ruin the company.

Department Head Ito didn’t bother whispering about his censure. You wondered how he would behave during your first managerial meeting after the announcement. Surprisingly, during the meeting, he was just as polite and respectful as he’d ever been, which is to say, barely. Still, it was nice to see that he wasn’t letting your bad relationship affect the work.

Once the meeting was over, however, you overheard him loudly speaking to another manager. “She always seemed like an underachiever when she was floundering in my department, but I guess you never know what these sluts will do in order to get a little power. If you catch my meaning.”

You nearly dropped your notes with the impact of your anger. Your eyesight blurred as you rode out the sudden emotion. Your hands trembled. How dare that nasty, spiteful, disgus- you were right here, if you just turned and—

Ito and the other manager were already gone, walking down the hall. It was for the best. Right now, you were certain to say something you regret and a misstep at this point would haunt you for the rest of your career. He must be pretty confident that you wouldn’t step into your new role with a rash of firings. You had hoped to avoid something like that, but now you were reconsidering.

It was a shame he was fairly competent in his job. Not very personable to begin with, Ito had always looked down on you; he didn’t take it well when you were on the same corporate level as him. Now, especially in light of the recent interaction between you, he was quite open with his resentment and nasty opinion of you. You would have plenty of cause, but the personal satisfaction you would gain wouldn’t offset the difficulty of trying to fill his position.

After that, you picked up on a shift in the rumors. Though they had been about how inexperienced and incompetent you might be, now they started to have the insinuating undertone you had tried so hard to avoid. Ito may have started it, but by now everyone had KaibaCorp had at least considered that you traded sexual favors for your position. 

You were devastated. It was hard enough before, but now there was added pressure to do well. A big mistake would practically prove the gossip correct—that you had used underhanded tactics to get yourself into a position you were unsuited for. More than ever you’d have to buckle down and handle everything with competence and professionalism. The stress of it started affecting your sleep.

It was a small comfort that you weren’t the only victim. It remained unsaid, but anyone who entertained the rumors also thought that Seto would be the type to accept such a deal. It was probably your best defense; no one who knew his disposition would believe it of him.

At one of your meetings with Seto, you worked up the courage to address it. “Kaiba-san,” you said falteringly, “are you aware of the rumors?”

He kept scribbling a note on one of your reports. “You’ll have to specify.”

“It’s been going around that I didn’t get this position through merit, but rather by, uh,” you hesitated, trying to phrase it tactfully.

“Sleeping with me,” he said easily.

You swallowed hard. “Yes.”

He held out the report for you and you took it to glance over his notes. There were a lot. “Well?” he prompted.

Staring at him blankly, you said, “Well? Thank you for the feedback, I’ll—”

“The rumors. Was there a point in bringing them up or did you just want to waste time?”

You blushed. This wasn’t time to space out. “Ah, I was just wondering if there was something we should do about it.”

“We?” He raised an eyebrow. “You’re in this position through your own actions. If it bothers you, do something about it yourself.”

“You don’t care? It affects you, too.” You rubbed your forehead to forestall the headache building.

He looked at you stoically. “I make a point not to validate inane rumors by acknowledging them. Trying to handle it directly will only backfire. The best course of action is to let the rumors run their course. It’s so false that it’s laughable; people will lose interest quickly.”

You blinked, a little offended. It would probably be creepy if he indicated an interest in you sexually, but to say that it’s laughable is a little much. Just the idea of being involved with Seto has made you way more self-conscious around him, though of course you would never trade sex for a promotion. 

“If you’re not bothered by it, then that’s good,” you said, stifling a yawn. If he wasn’t going to be helpful about the rumors, you’d have to lose sleep over it by yourself. “Now, about the current Social Responsibility projects…”

After Seto had answered as many of your questions as he deigned, you got ready to leave, yawning as you packed up your notes. To your surprise, he stood when you did and walked with you to the door of his office. You glanced at him suspiciously; he usually didn’t offer this kind of courtesy. He watched you carefully but remained silent.

When you reached the door, he half-lifted a hand, then dropped it again. You waited for him to say something. He didn’t. Perplexed, you said, “I’ll take my leave now,” as you dipped your head in a small bow.

“It will be hard on you,” he said as you straightened. 

“What?”

Seto huffed and scowled. “I’m warning you, if you can’t handle little things like a rumor or two then you’ll struggle as Operations Officer.”

You lifted your chin stubbornly. “I can handle it! I just wanted to get your perspective since you’re involved.”

“If you can’t keep up because you’ve neglected your health that’s your own problem. You’ve accepted this position and all that it entails. It’s too late for second thoughts.”

“I’m not reconsidering,” you spat. “I’m confident in my abilities. Wait and see; I’ll definitely surprise you.”

Seto smirked. “Is that so? Just don’t bother coming to me with any complaints, I believe you already know that’s Mokuba’s area of expertise.”

“Oh,” you said meaningfully as you walked out the door, “I know.” Seto was incomprehensible. Did he follow you to the door just to chide you about being too sensitive?

You breezed past Katakura without wishing him a good day. Once you were in the elevator, you sagged. You should make up with Katakura. He had not resisted when you taught him how to make coffee with the Kurotsuki trick and it likely wasn’t his fault that you had mistakenly made it yourself for so long, but it still stung. That was just one more thing that you would need fortitude to address, amidst all the rest. 

Seto had riled you up so you had said some big things, but you were worried about the effect on your health. Perhaps you should take the night away from work and try to rest up and relax. You emailed Aoki, who was nice enough to work late with you, that you were going home without stopping by your office. You would just pick up some sales reports for some light reading, first.

You didn’t expect anyone to still be on the sales floor—it wasn’t quite time for them stay late preparing for the November sales—so you were surprised to overhear someone chatting in the breakroom before you passed it.

“…we won’t have just him to worry about; girlfriend-sama will also be trying to run the show. I’ve heard she’s nicer, but anyone who’d catch our CEO by the cock has got to be a little twisted,” said a salesperson.

You froze, mortified. There was no way you could walk past them. What if they tried to talk to you about it? No, even if they didn’t say anything you didn’t trust yourself not to react poorly. 

“Shut your damn mouth!” snapped Irie’s voice. “Don’t you have anything better to do than spout off obscene rumors?”

They laughed. “Aw, I’m sorry, Manabu-kun. I forgot; you like her, don’t you? Tell me, how does it feel to be cuckolded?”

Irie’s voice was steely. “Rumors like that are only spread by small-minded idiots and jealous losers. Which are you? Too dumb to realize how ridiculous that theory is or intimidated by a woman who is more successful than you? My guess is both.”

You heard a chair clatter. “Icchan,” said a third voice, “don’t. Just leave him.” A few more chairs moved, probably because Icchan’s group was going to leave. 

Quickly, you ducked into a dark supply closet to hide as they passed. It wasn’t cowardice; you were merely picking your battles. You peeked through the small window beside the door so you could see when they were gone. Sadly, you recognized most of them from your time in the sales department. They had come to your welcoming party when you first started. 

Once you were sure that they had left the floor you quietly left the closet. You hadn’t seen Irie from your window, so you peered into the breakroom. It was empty; perhaps he’d left from the stairwell instead of the elevator. Breathing deeply to quell your shaking, you went on into the file room to pull last year’s sales reports. Not only did you want the yearly, but also quarterly, so your hands were full. One of the reports had slipped while you closed the door to the file room, so you were preoccupied until you heard a sharp intake of breath.

You looked up to see Irie, briefcase in hand. “What are you doing down here?” he asked softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Mokuba walks in on an awkward situation!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Wrap it Up](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17097803) by [SilverMalkin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMalkin/pseuds/SilverMalkin)




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